- A pickup plunged 300 feet off U.S. Highway 550 near Ouray, Colorado.
- Multiple rescue teams used ropes to retrieve the trapped driver safely.
- The driver escaped with only minor injuries despite the brutal fall.
Last year marked the deadliest stretch for drivers in the Swiss Alps since 2015, a stark reminder of how unforgiving mountain roads can be. On this side of the Atlantic, in Ouray, Colorado, often called the Switzerland of America, served as the stage for a similarly perilous ordeal, though this one ended in improbable survival.
That outcome is remarkable considering the driver’s truck plunged nearly 300 feet into the Uncompahgre River Gorge from U.S. Highway 550, the same mountain route many know as the Million Dollar Highway. It was along this twisting, cliffside road where the entire wayward incident unfolded.
A Fall into the Gorge
Sometime around 12:20 p.m. on Thursday, October 9, a driver left that road between mile markers 88 and 89, just south of Ouray itself and near Box Canyon. Witnesses described a chaotic but impressive emergency response.
Read: A Ford Bronco Sport Plummeted 400 Feet Down Colorado’s Black Bear Pass
Facebook user Melissa Hartsfield Cieslik said she was among the first to arrive after an older man flagged her down for help.
“There was EMS, sheriff’s deputies, highway patrol, search and rescue, volunteers, these guys did a great job,” she wrote. “They allowed me to stay until we could determine the guy was alive. Much respect for those who get out there and do that apparently often.”
Emergency responders from Ouray County EMS, the Ouray Volunteer Fire Department, and the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team arrived on scene and performed a technical rope rescue to recover the driver, thankfully, the vehicle’s only occupant.
Despite the long and rocky fall into the gorge, the driver only suffered minor injuries. The Ouray County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado State Patrol, and CDOT all assisted in the rescue effort.
A Road Without Mercy
The Million Dollar Highway, named that for its immense cost and complexity, is unquestionably one of America’s most perilous routes. The road connects Ouray and Silverton, and that section is known for minimal guardrails, steep drop-offs, and the need for skilled engine braking as one descends into either town.
The Ford F-150 may not have survived the fall, but it fulfilled its purpose. Against the odds, its driver walked away to tell the story.
Photo Ouray Mountain Rescue Team
