This footage of a runaway truck was shared by the Colorado Department of Transportation as a reminder of how dangerous US 160/Wolf Creek Pass can be for commercial vehicle drivers.
From CDOT:
“With stretches as wide as four lanes, US 160/Wolf Creek Pass can deceive drivers into thinking there is ample room to navigate it. Adding high speeds to this miscalculation creates dangerous conditions—particularly for commercial vehicle drivers.
Commercial trucks traveling downhill on the pass should go no faster than 25 MPH. This video, captured by a CDOT Wolf Creek Pass maintenance patrolman, shows a semi-truck that picked up too much speed, more than 60 MPH at one point. Rather than keeping the vehicle in a low gear, the driver was “riding the brakes” which resulted in brake failure. When finally coming to a very fortunate stop, the brakes were smoking. The driver should have used one of two escape ramps available for stopping runaway trucks. This situation could have ended up much worse – A CRASH and the potential loss of the irreplaceable life of the driver or the lives of those with whom he shares the road.“