A man in his forties sustained minor injuries after a rollover accident that left his 2015 Toyota 4Runner tires-side-up dangerously close to a cliff’s edge, according to the San Miguel County Sheriff. The scary-looking wreck happened at an area dubbed “the stairs” near Ingram Falls, Colorado near Telluride. The picturesque route is an admittedly enjoyable-looking piece of road known as the Black Bear Pass Switchbacks.
Police have not disclosed how the rollover happened but Black Bear Pass has been closed in both directions since Wednesday afternoon to allow for the safe removal of the flipped Toyota. Motorbikes, however, are being allowed to pass. Cars looking to travel through the area will have to make a detour on Bridal Veil Road. Black Bear Pass will remain closed until at least Thursday afternoon.
Apparently, the driver of the 4Runner, who happens to be from Des Moines, Iowa, was the vehicle’s only occupant and the crash is being treated as a single-vehicle incident.
Judging from that wide shot of the flipped SUV in front of the mountain range, this rollover could’ve ended much, much worse had the Toyota landed a few yards further out. It’s the kind of accident that makes you want to buy a lottery ticket to go with that new pair of pants afterward.
A Reddit post uploaded by a fellow off-roader documented the aftermath in the video seen below. The bystander also says a dog was in the 4Runner at the time but was unhurt. He adds that after the rollover, he and a group of other drivers looked for ways to flip the truck back over but couldn’t find a good way to set up a winch or snatch block.
Early last month, an Arizona couple found themselves counting their blessings after they rolled their Jeep Wrangler down an 80-foot cliff and survived but only after sustaining heavy injuries.
Off-road safely, folks.
An update was made to this article at 4 p.m. EST on Thursday, Aug. 22 to include the eyewitness video and Reddit thread with more details on the rollover.