A fiery crash on Interstate 25 northbound, caused by a futon couch left on the road, sent two people to the hospital on Saturday night. The dangerous debris led to 18-year-old Danniel Gaviria swerving to avoid the couch, but his car collided with it, causing the vehicle to flip and catch fire. Danniel was driving with his 10-year-old sister in the backseat when the incident occurred between Highway 7 and Erie Parkway.
The night had begun joyfully for Danniel and his family, who had been in Denver enjoying dinner together. Danniel and his sister were driving separately from their parents when their journey took a dangerous turn. Despite his attempts to avoid the couch, his car clipped it, spun out, and flipped over before bursting into flames.
“I didn’t know how to react,” Danniel recalled, describing the moment he realized the gravity of the situation. In shock, he saw blood on his arm but was relieved to see his sister lying beside him on the ground, alive. A passerby allowed Danniel to use their phone to call his mother, as his own phone was trapped inside the burning car.
Reflecting on the crash, Danniel expressed gratitude for their survival, saying, “It’s a miracle that we’re alive.”
Now, Danniel is pleading with drivers to properly secure their loads to prevent tragedies like this. Colorado State Patrol is investigating the incident, believing the unsecured futon couch was to blame for the crash.
