A pickup truck towing a 30-foot camper was reportedly dangling off the side of the road and a cliff face Monday afternoon on Coal Bank Pass, between Purgatory Resort and Silverton.
Several trees were preventing the Ram 2500 and trailer from falling down the cliff, said Colorado State Patrol Capt. Angela DeGuelle. One person was trapped in the vehicle.
DeGuelle said deputies from the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office were on scene and a tow truck had arrived, but the driver remained inside the vehicle as of 3:30 p.m.
A lane on U.S. Highway 550 was closed for a brief period time as emergency crews alternated traffic.
The driver was rescued from the truck at about 4 p.m. and the vehicle was towed back onto the highway shortly after, DeGuelle said. The driver was not injured.
The accident occurred because the truck had bad tires and was driving too fast over the pass, DeGuelle said.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
