Traversing a mountain range isn’t for the faint of heart. Although the views can be grand, the drive can be white-knuckled, even for an experienced driver. If the blind corners and switchbacks don’t get you, then watch out on the downhill. Also, the amount of junk in the trunk matters. Unfortunately, the operator of a semi-truck had all the right ingredients for disaster.
Big Sky, Montana, is a resort region known for its vast, rugged beauty. Bordering Yellowstone National Park’s northwestern edge, the area can reach elevations of more than 7,000 feet. But its beauty merely hides its dangers. A recent eyewitness clip posted to Instagram shows how difficult the drive can be and how quickly things can go from not-so-good to oh-my-god.
A loaded trailer is enveloped in smoke as the vehicle maneuvers downhill. When and where are unknown, as the post was shared without much information. Only the on-video captions state the location as Big Sky. In the video, the smoke appears to come from the brakes or eventual lack thereof.
As the vehicle slaloms down the mountain, you can see the faint brake lights. However, either the brake fade became too much, or the brakes failed completely because the farther downhill the truck traveled, the more it picked up speed.
The video was shot by a driver traveling behind the runaway truck. A couple of pans to the speedometer show about 60 mph. Later, the speed is shown at 75 mph and rising. The truck driver is cutting corners, frequently crossing the double-yellow line. The roadway isn’t empty of traffic either. A stream of full-size pickup trucks and SUVs are seen traveling in the opposite direction.
Again, without knowing the when and where, it’s difficult to confirm additional info. For example, how steep was that downhill grade, and how long was it? Were there runaway truck ramps available? Distance can play as much of a role as the grade. In this case, engine braking would have helped massively but the big diesel was dead.
Eventually, nearing the end of the minute-long video, you see the road flatten out, and perhaps the hauler is home free—maybe to limp to the nearest town or simply pull over to the side. That didn’t happen. Instead, on the final corner, the truck and trailer flipped onto its left side, sliding across the roadway, and barely missing an approaching van.
One commenter claims to know the driver and states that he and his brother are alive and “mostly unharmed.” According to a follow-up comment, the crash was due to a mechanical failure. An issue with the truck’s ECM shut off the engine, and from there, the driver had no control other than to do his best to avoid other vehicles. If this is true, it’s a wonder that the outcome wasn’t worse and no one was seriously injured.