Colorado Middle School Teacher Killed by Semi at Construction Site

A 53-year-old middle school teacher named Catherine Withrow was killed on July 6 while walking her bicycle across a street in Fort Collins, Colorado. She was struck by a large semi-truck at the intersection of East Mulberry Street and Whedbee Street. The street was being repaved at the time, and the truck was part of a construction project there. Withrow was pronounced dead at the scene.

Fort Collins Police Services said there were construction workers present when Withrow tried to walk her bicycle from the north side of Mulberry Street to the south side. Police have not yet said whether any of those workers were helping guide people or traffic safely across the street. The investigation is still going on, and no one has been found at fault so far. Many people were nearby and witnessed what happened.

CRASH team Sergeant David Lindsay spoke about the incident in a police press release. He said the crash was traumatic for everyone who was there or who saw it happen. He added that investigators are working to find answers and that a victim advocate team has stepped in to help those affected. Police began receiving 9-1-1 calls about the crash at around 6:20 p.m. that evening.

The city of Fort Collins had started repaving a stretch of East Mulberry Street on June 1, between College Avenue and Riverside Drive. Workers typically worked Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., though they sometimes worked outside those hours to finish the project faster. The city suggested that drivers use alternate routes to avoid the construction zones. The crash happened just after the normal end of the workday.

Five days after Withrow died, Boltz Middle School shared a message about her passing on social media. The school remembered her as a teacher, a coach, and a caring person. 'Cate was a mother, daughter, sister, aunt, wife, friend, and teacher at Boltz where she taught seventh grade science, math and health,' the school wrote. She also coached the cross country team and helped run an after-school running club.

What made Withrow's story especially meaningful was that she had once been a student at Boltz Middle School herself. Before teaching, she had worked as a nurse, then decided to change careers and became a teacher. She started at Boltz at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching both online and in person even without traditional classroom training. Her online obituary described her as someone who found a new calling and gave it everything she had.

A memorial service for Withrow is planned for August 1 at 10:00 a.m. at the Lory Student Center on the Colorado State University campus. Friends, family, students, and fellow teachers are expected to come together to honor her life. She is remembered not only as a dedicated educator, but as someone who brought real-world experience and genuine care into every classroom.