A man died overnight Sunday after a tractor-trailer truck hit the car he was trying to reattach to a tow strap in the center lane of Interstate 70 in Wheat Ridge.

The crash happened about 9:30 p.m. Sunday in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 near Carr Street, the Wheat Ridge Police Department reported Tuesday on X.

A vehicle was towing another with a tow strap on the interstate when the strap broke, stranding the disabled vehicle in the center lanes of the interstate.

Two men backed up the towing vehicle and attempted to reattach the disabled vehicle to the tow strap, but a fully loaded tractor-trailer driver who did not see the vehicles struck both the disabled and the towing vehicles, police said they learned through interviews.

One of the men was under the disabled car at the time of the crash and died at the scene, police said.

A woman was in the passenger seat of the disabled vehicle and was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. The other man was taken to the hospital with “some injuries” but was able to speak to officers.

The tractor-trailer truck driver was not taken to a hospital, police said.

Police said the investigation is still ongoing.

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