TELLURIDE, Colo. — A ride down a scenic Colorado mountain pass turned into a terrifying experience for a woman earlier this month.
The 23-year-old woman suffered serious injuries and a two dogs were also tossed out of the vehicle, according to the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office.
Dash camera video from a witness showed a red Jeep Wrangler Sport rolling down six switchbacks on Black Bear Pass in the mountains near Telluride on Oct. 10, The Telluride Daily Planet reported. Shortly after 1 p.m., two vehicles encountered a difficult turn. The driver of the Jeep turned off the engine and put on the emergency brake as he went to assist the second driver, the newspaper reported.
Deputies, San Miguel County Search and Rescue, Telluride Fire Protection District EMS and Fire, Telluride Marshal’s responded to a Jeep that rolled off and down several switchbacks on Bridal Veil Rd. in Telluride. The 22yr old male who was the driver of the Jeep told Deputies he pic.twitter.com/OBzbb3X9Cc
— San Miguel Sheriff (@SheriffAlert) October 10, 2020
That’s when the 22-year-old man heard the sounds of crunching gravel and turned to see the Jeep sliding toward the edge of the one-way roadway, the Daily Planet reported. The man attempted to jump back into the driver’s seat but was tossed onto nearby rocks as the Jeep tilted over the edge and rolled down six switchbacks before coming to a stop below on Bridal Veil Road, the newspaper reported.
The incident was caught on video by YouTube member “Y2K Wrangler,” The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported. The video showed the Jeep violently flipping in front of his vehicle. The moment occurs three minutes, 15 seconds into the YouTuber’s clip. The YouTuber slams on the brakes, and rocks and a destroyed vehicle fly by, barely missing the spectators by a few feet, the newspaper reported.
The two dogs in the Jeep were also ejected, and a black Labrador puppy named Decker was temporarily lost. It was later found several hundred feet from the accident scene several days later by a couple hiking on the trail, Out There Colorado reported. A chocolate Labrador puppy was found near th
Decker has been found!
— San Miguel Sheriff (@SheriffAlert) October 14, 2020
Family & friends were up in the Black Bear area this afternoon & told Deputies they heard him barking and howling. Deputies & a SAR team headed up, located the puppy in steep terrain & safely escorted him back to safety. He appears to be uninjured. pic.twitter.com/NFa2Cx7CXM
Rescuers flew the injured woman to an area hospital for treatment, the Daily Planet reported. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the injured woman, who is identified on the fundraiser page as Suzie Rhodes, of Durango, Colorado. As of Friday afternoon, more than $38,000 has been raised to cover her medical expenses.
Black Bear Pass is an off-highway vehicle road that starts from U.S. 550, Red Mountain Pass, and reaches about 12,840 feet of elevation before heading into Telluride, The Gazette reported.
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