I-70 & Wadsworth mystery crash culprit: Organic soil from EDS Waste Solutions

Update below: One minute, drivers were zipping along I-70 near Wadsworth with no problem. The next, they were sliding as if an ice storm had just struck. Now, however, Wheat Ridge Police think they know who was responsible for the mysterious substance that slickened the highway early yesterday morning --...

By Michael Roberts

October 4, 2011

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Update below: One minute, drivers were zipping along I-70 near Wadsworth with no problem. The next, they were sliding as if an ice storm had just struck. Now, however, Wheat Ridge Police think they know who was responsible for the mysterious substance that slickened the highway early yesterday morning -- and what the stuff was.

According to Wheat Ridge Police Department Lieutenant Mark Cooney, the culprit was a vehicle belonging to EDS Waste Solutions in Golden.

Not that "waste" is necessarily the best description of what spilled. Cooney notes that officers will be meeting with the driver at around 11 a.m. this morning to get more details. But at this point, they believe it was "some sort of organic soil."

Cooney adds that the driver will be cited for the incident, which led to a crash involving eleven separate vehicles (no serious injuries were reported) and the transformation of the roadway into a still life.

Update, 12:59 p.m. October 4: The EDS Waste Solutions driver who allegedly spilled organic soil on I-70, prompting an eleven-car crack-up, has been identified by the Wheat Ridge Police Department as Victor Ward of Arvada. He's been cited for Spilled Load on Highway (yes, that's the actual violation name). The case comes before Wheat Ridge Municipal Court on November 9.

Look below to check out a 9News video of yesterday's scene below.

More from our News archive: "Thanks for nothing, highway crews and city snow-plow drivers."

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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