A 23-year-old man is dead after a semi-truck he was driving Monday tumbled down a Colorado mountainside, authorities said.

The Colorado State Patrol responded to the crash that sent the semi-truck off the side of U.S. Highway 160 about 17 miles northeast of Pagosa Springs around 8:21 a.m.

The driver, a man from New York, was not immediately located amid the large debris scene down the mountain, CSP said. He was later found ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead. 

Troopers said the 2020 Freightliner was hauling a trailer packed with canned drinks heading southbound on Highway 160 near milepost 161 when it crashed.

According to CSP, the Freightliner hit the barrier wall on the right side and bounced off. It then rolled through the guardrail on the left side of the roadway down a steep embankment.

Both the cab and trailer were destroyed due to rolling down the mountain. 

According to CSP, the semi’s trailer split open prior to rolling down the side of the mountain and spilled its cargo on the roadway. CDOT used a plow to clear the roadway of the cargo and debris. There is no road closure at this time. 

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.

An extended recovery is expected as crews work to recover the semi and trailer. The Colorado State Patrol Vehicular Crimes Unit will be handling the investigation. CDOT and the Colorado State Patrol Hazmat Unit are on site assisting with clean up.