Colorado state Senator Faith Winter, a Westminster Democrat who served for more than a decade in the Colorado General Assembly, was killed Wednesday night in a multi-vehicle crash south of Denver, according to media reports.

“Our state is shaken by the loss of Senator Faith Winter, and I send my deepest condolences to her children, loved ones, friends, and colleagues across our state,” Governor Jared Polis said in a statement.

“Faith was a fierce advocate for hardworking Coloradans, women, and families, and our climate,” Polis added. “I’ve known Faith for nearly twenty years, first as an organizer for environmental causes and then expanding women’s representation and leadership, and finally, as a state senator. I have had the honor of working with her on many issues to improve the lives of every person and family in our great state, and tackling climate change.”

At least three other people were injured in the crash, which occurred on northbound Interstate 25 near the Dry Creek Road exit, according to South Metro Fire Rescue and the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.

Before winning election to the Senate in 2018, Winter, a former environmental nonprofit director, served two terms in the Colorado House of Representatives beginning in 2015.

She served as chair of the Senate’s Transportation and Energy Committee, spearheading efforts to modernize Colorado transportation funding, expand public transit investments and reduce vehicle pollution. She was a co-sponsor of House Bill 19-1261, a landmark 2019 climate action law that established the state’s first statutory greenhouse gas reduction targets.

“Words cannot express how deeply heartbroken we are tonight as Colorado mourns the loss of an exceptional legislator, a champion for working people, and a steadfast defender of our environment and abortion rights,” Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie, a Dillon Democrat, and House Majority Leader Monica Duran, a Wheat Ridge Democrat, said in a statement.

Senate President James Coleman and Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, both Denver Democrats, called Winter “a dedicated public servant whose commitment to the people of Colorado never wavered.”

Senator Winter was a colleague whose presence brought warmth and an invaluable perspective to the Capitol. We will miss her leadership, her partnership, and her deep commitment to a brighter Colorado,” Coleman and Rodriguez said. “Our hearts are with Senator Winter’s family and friends as they navigate this unimaginable loss.”