Fort Collins Police found three passengers deceased inside of a burning car early Thursday morning, sparking an investigation into the crash. 

A Larimer County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a crash call around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday in the 5800 block of South Taft Hill Road, according to a news release from the City of Fort Collins. A 2013 Volkswagen Jetta was found in the middle of the road on fire. 

The deputy could identify two passengers who seemed to be deceased. As Poudre Fire Authority began battling the fire, a third passenger was found in the car. 

Initial investigations by the Fort Collins Police CRASH (Collision Reconstruction and Scene Handling) Team found that the vehicle was traveling southbound on Taft Hill Road when it drifted into the shoulder and struck a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 pickup truck that had been broken down on the side of the road.

Taft Hill Road was closed between Trilby Road and Harmony Road for around eight-and-a-half hours as responders investigated the scene. All three passengers were found deceased upon extraction, according to the release.

The identification of the individuals will be released by the Larimer County Coroner’s Office following investigation. 

“This is an extremely tragic incident, one that certainly will have a profound impact on both the families of those involved, but also the community,” Fort Collins Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said in a statement. “Our team of investigators will do everything they can to try and find answers for the families, but in the meantime, we will be there to support them however we can.”