A sudden wall of blowing dirt turned Interstate 25 into a death trap Tuesday morning, killing four people and sending 29 to hospitals in one of the worst crashes southern Colorado has ever seen.
In seconds, drivers went from clear skies to zero visibility as ferocious winds whipped bone-dry soil across the highway near mile marker 92, creating what troopers call a “brown out.”
What Exactly Happened South of Pueblo
Colorado State Patrol says the nightmare began around 9:45 a.m. when winds gusting over 60 mph lifted dust from parched fields east of the interstate.
The massive cloud swallowed both northbound and southbound lanes in total darkness. Drivers slammed on brakes, but many never saw the vehicles ahead until it was too late.
The northbound lanes took the hardest hit. Thirty vehicles, including six semis, piled into each other in a chain reaction that stretched hundreds of yards. A separate eight-vehicle crash happened in the southbound lanes.
All four deaths and all 29 injuries came from the northbound wreck. The southbound crash caused only property damage.
Victims Identified as Local Families Are Left Devastated
The Pueblo County Coroner named the four people who lost their lives:
- David Kirscht, 68, and his son Scott L. Kirscht, 36, both from Walsenburg
- Mary Sue Thayer, 74, from Rye
- Karen Ann Marsh, 71, from Pueblo
Friends describe David and Scott as inseparable, the kind of father and son who did everything together. Mary Sue was a beloved grandmother known for her homemade pies at church events. Karen was getting ready to retire and spend more time with her grandkids.
Their deaths have ripped holes in small towns that already feel like family.
Heroes Stepped Up When Seconds Counted
First responders faced scenes straight out of a disaster movie, twisted metal, trapped drivers, and loose livestock running through smoke and dust.
Pueblo School District 60 sent empty school buses to the scene to carry the wounded to hospitals. St. Mary-Corwin and Parkview Medical Center activated full mass-casualty protocols.
Mike Cafasso, president of St. Mary-Corwin, told reporters staff thought it was a drill at first. “Then we realized it was real, and everybody just went to work.”
Seven patients suffered serious injuries. One remains in critical condition. Twenty-one others were treated for cuts, broken bones, and bruises.
Sheep and a Goat Survived the Chaos, Four Did Not
One of the most heartbreaking sights was a stock trailer carrying 30 sheep and one goat that jack-knifed in the pileup.
Some animals escaped and ran panicked along the interstate. Humane Society officers worked for hours rounding them up while dodging wreckage.
Four sheep were too badly hurt and had to be euthanized. The rest, including the goat, were reunited with their owner by Tuesday night.
Why Wasn’t the Highway Closed Sooner?
That question is burning across southern Colorado today.
CDOT issued high-wind warnings for light, high-profile vehicles after the crash, but not before.
Major Brian Lyons with State Patrol admitted the dust storm hit faster than anyone expected. “By the time we got the notifications, the crash had already occurred.”
The National Weather Service in Pueblo had forecast gusty winds, but nothing that specifically predicted a total brown out on I-25.
Troopers say this stretch south of Pueblo is notorious for sudden dust storms because of open farmland and years of drought that leave the soil loose.
Interstate Reopens as Investigation Continues
Both directions of I-25 fully reopened by Wednesday morning, but the emotional scars will last much longer.
State Patrol says the investigation could take months. They’re looking at speed, following distance, and whether any drivers were distracted in the moments before everything went dark.
For now, yellow signs along that stretch warn “Dust Storms Possible, Reduce Speed.” Many locals say those signs should have been there years ago.
Four families will never come home. A goat and twenty-six sheep made it, but Colorado learned again how fast the plains can turn deadly when the wind decides to rage.
What happened south of Pueblo wasn’t just a crash. It was a brutal reminder that Mother Nature still runs the show out here, and sometimes she doesn’t give warnings.
Tell us in the comments if you’ve ever been caught in a brown out on I-25 or Highway 50. If you’re sharing on social media, use #PuebloPileup so we can keep this conversation going.
