A tragic incident unfolded on Colorado’s notorious Wolf Creek Pass on Monday morning, resulting in the death of a 23-year-old semi-truck driver.

According to the Colorado State Patrol, personnel responded to the crash at about 8:21 a.m. on the morning of November 3. The crash involved a single commercial motor vehicle – a 2020 Freightliner hauling a trailer filled with canned drinks – traveling off of the side of Highway 160 before traveling down the mountainside. The incident occurred about 17 miles north of Pagosa Springs, prior to where southbound travelers reach the scenic overlook.

Preliminary evidence indicates that the truck hit the barrier wall on the right side of the road around mile marker 161, bouncing off of it before rolling through the guardrail on the left side of the road and then down a steep embankment. The cab and the trailer were both destroyed as a result of the wreck, with the driver – a 23-year-old from New York – not initially found due to the large amount of debris resulting from the crash.

It was later determined that the driver had been ejected from the cab. He was found and pronounced deceased at the scene.

The initial investigation pointed to excessive speed being a factor with smoke seen coming from the brakes of the vehicle. A runaway ramp was present about 1.5 miles before where the crash occurred, though the driver did not utilize that safety option.

An extended recovery effort is expected to take place to remove the vehicle and trailer from the mountainside. The trailer split open prior to rolling down the mountainside, which resulted in its contents spilling onto the roadway. A plow was used to clear the roadway and no closure was in place at the time a 2:04 p.m. press release was published related to the incident.

Wolf Creek Pass has an average grade of about 4.6% with maximum grades hitting 7%. It’s steep and has dangerous curves, and is a mountain pass that should be traveled with caution.

Condolences go out to those impacted by this man’s death.