A Phoenix man survived a rollover crash Thursday morning on Imogene Pass, a high-alpine route in southwestern Colorado, after his SUV flipped several times off a switchback near the summit.
The incident was reported at approximately 9:30am on June 18th. Telluride Fire, San Miguel County Sheriff‘s deputies, and Search and Rescue all responded. Emergency crews drove up the pass and made patient contact around 10am, finding the 58-year-old driver already standing on the roadway alongside several bystanders, two of whom had wilderness first-aid training.
The man, the sole occupant of the vehicle, had self-extricated and walked roughly 150 feet up a small incline to reach the road. He was transported to Telluride Regional Medical Center with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries.
According to responders, the man had driven over from the Ouray County side of the pass and lost control on an icy section of road a few switchbacks below the summit. Imogene Pass is currently closed for the season on the San Miguel County side, though it is open on the Ouray County side. The Ouray County Sheriff’s Office noted there was no signage at the top of the pass indicating the closure on the San Miguel side.
Ouray County officials have since placed signs at the summit alerting drivers to the San Miguel County closure and updated information on the county website.
San Miguel County Sheriff Dan Covault noted that Colorado mountain passes can be among the most dangerous in the country and that even experienced off-roaders can find themselves in serious trouble. Search and Rescue personnel staged at Incident Command but were not needed at the scene. Deputies are investigating.
