A driver in Colorado's mountains survived a 300-foot plunge off a highway, walking away with only minor injuries. The accident occurred Oct. 9 along the "Million Dollar Highway," a famously scenic but hazardous section of US Highway 550 in Ouray County, Fox News reports. According to the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team, emergency crews from several agencies responded around midday after a pickup truck was reported to have gone over the edge and fallen into the Uncompahgre River Gorge.
Rescuers deployed a rope system to reach the truck's sole occupant, who was helped up the steep terrain and back to the roadway. Photos shared by the rescue team in a Facebook post show a wrecked vehicle and the driver, upright and able to walk, assisted by a responder. Commenters on the team's page expressed disbelief at the outcome, calling it a miracle. The driver survived with only minor injuries in a fall that typically would have been fatal. "Glad he's not hurt very bad," wrote one person. Another suggested it was time for the driver to buy a lottery ticket.
The Million Dollar Highway, a 25-mile stretch from Silverton to Ouray, is known for its sharp turns, narrow lanes, and lack of guardrails, factors that have contributed to its reputation as one of the most dangerous roads in the US. The road popular among tourists and outdoor enthusiasts, but local officials caution travelers to stick to the speed limit and remain vigilant. The rescue team says the pickup truck went off the road between mile markers 88 and 89. A 65-year-old woman died less than two miles away when her motorcycle tumbled into the canyon on Aug. 23, CBS News reports. Earlier that month, two people from New Mexico were killed in a crash at mile marker 88.