The man who died in a crash on Interstate 70 Saturday has been identified as 45-year-old Francisco Manuel Apodaca Peralta of Glenwood Springs, the Garfield County Coroner said Monday.
Apodaca Peralta was travelling east on I-70 around 4:45 p.m. when his Nissan pickup truck crossed the median and collided with another truck in the westbound lanes.
He was declared dead on the scene after the coroner arrived just after 5 p.m. The other driver was transported to Valley View Hospital with minor injuries, according to a Colorado State Patrol spokesperson.
The Nissan went off the road, over-corrected, and then went out of control and collided with the other truck. Apodaca Peralta’s car rolled over, according to the CSP.
Apodaca Peralta was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, coroner Robert Glassmire said in a press release. He died of blunt force injuries of the head, according to an autopsy conducted Monday, Aug. 19.
The coroner did not release any information on toxicology, and is investigating the death as an accident.
CSP shut down the interstate for nearly six hours Saturday due to the crash, and diverted drivers onto U.S. Highway 6. The highway opened up to traffic round 12:45 a.m. Sunday morning.