Semi truck bypassed runaway ramp on Wolf Creek Pass before fatal plummet down embankment, Colorado troopers say
A truck driver lost his life in a crash caused by suspected brake failure on Wolf Creek Pass on Monday morning, according to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP).
Troopers responded to the crash at 8:21 a.m. on November 3 on Highway 160 (Wolf Creek Pass) at approximately mile marker 161, north of Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
A 23 year old New York resident was operating a 2020 Freightliner hauling a load of canned drinks south on Highway 160 when the truck hit the barrier on the right side of the wall and glanced off. The Freightliner crashed through the guardrail on left side of the highway and fell down a steep embankment.
Troopers said that the truck and trailer were destroyed in the fall down the embankment.
The truck driver was ejected and died at the scene.
“The initial investigation revealed that the semi was traveling at an excessive speed, with smoke coming from the brakes, and that the driver failed to take the runaway truck ramp 1.5 miles before the crash,” CSP said.
CSP said that the truck’s trailer split open before falling down the embankment, causing a large cargo spill. A Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) plow was used to clear the roadway.
The crash remains under investigation.