Overview
- The pickup went off U.S. 550 between mile markers 88 and 89 near Ouray around 12:20 p.m. on Oct. 9, according to the rescue team.
- Ouray Mountain Rescue Team, Ouray County EMS and the Ouray Volunteer Fire Department executed a technical rope rescue with support from the sheriff’s office, CDOT and state patrol.
- The sole occupant was brought back to the roadway and was reported to have only minor injuries despite the truck being heavily mangled.
- Sections of the route lack guardrails because frequent avalanches require plows to push snow over the cliff edges to keep the highway open.
- The same 13-mile corridor saw multiple serious crashes this summer, including an Aug. 5 wreck that killed two people, with investigations still underway.