Truck driver’s dash cam captures intense crash on Colorado highway

Courtney Fromm
·2 min read

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — A driver who police say swerved in front of a large truck has been cited for careless driving after allegedly causing a major crash on Interstate 70 in Colorado.

“Luckily I didn’t sustain many injuries,” said Dean Vangsnes, a heavy wrecker driver who was involved in the crash.

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Vangsnes was behind the wheel of his large tow truck on Oct. 17 when a white Mazda changed lanes, hit the front of his truck and caused him to lose control.

“It forced me to collide with other vehicles, then I went off the roadway,” Vangsnes said.

His company shared the video on Instagram in hopes of raising awareness with drivers to make sure they pay attention, especially when changing lanes. Vangsnes said he believed the driver who swerved was distracted behind the wheel.

The entire crash was captured on two different cameras on Vangsnes’ truck. One of the cameras faces out on the road while the other films inside the truck’s cabin.

“Watching the video, I’m OK with it ’cause I lived it, I’ve made terms with myself,” Vangsnes said.

But his family and friends have a different reaction.

“It’s hard for them to watch because they see it as it is…” Vangsnes said.

The Lakewood Police Department said on Tuesday that the crash involved a total of seven different vehicles, one of which was Vangsnes’ truck that went down into an embankment.

LPD also stated a couple of people were transported to a local hospital with minor injuries. Vangsnes was one of them.

LPD cited the Mazda driver for careless driving causing injury, saying they were at fault.

“This hit too close to home,” Vangsnes said. “This was an avoidable accident.”

Vangsnes said he is thankful he had the cameras going to share his side of the story.

“I almost lost my dash camera, it was ejected from the truck and it was really close to the water,” Vangsnes said.

He is currently taking some time off of work to heal.

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