A two-vehicle crash on Highway 50 near milepost 357, just west of Rocky Ford, sent three people to the hospital Wednesday, and closed the roadway for several hours before it fully reopened at approximately 3:38 p.m.

The Colorado State Patrol responded to the crash at approximately 11:03 a.m. The crash involved a Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control white Silverado truck and a white Toyota Rav4.

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Preliminary reports indicate the DFPC truck was westbound on Highway 50 when the driver turned left onto Otero County Road 10 and entered the path of the eastbound Toyota Rav4.

The 33-year-old male driver of the DFPC truck, identified as Curtis O'Leary, an arson investigator and employee with the DFPC, was transported to a local area hospital. At the time of the crash, he was not responding to a work-related incident and no emergency lights or sirens were activated. The extent of his injuries is unknown.

The 75-year-old male driver and 70-year-old female passenger of the Rav4 were also transported to a local area hospital. The extent of their injuries is unknown.

O'Leary was cited for careless driving.

Both directions of Highway 50 were closed at milepost 357 for approximately two hours. The roadway reopened at approximately 1:04 p.m. before being closed again briefly for vehicle recovery operations. Traffic was diverted to Otero County Road 9 during the closure. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.