CLEAR CREEK COUNTY, Colo. — A sheriff's office drone captured aerial views of the pickup truck that was struck by an avalanche Friday evening on Loveland Pass.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) closed Highway 6 over the pass at 6:30 p.m. on Friday due to the poor driving conditions and rising risk of an avalanche. As CDOT was escorting the drivers who were already on the pass down the winding road, a natural avalanche crashed down a slope around 7:15 p.m. and swept one pickup truck off the road, the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office said.
One person was in the truck but was not seriously injured, CAIC reported. The person was not found in the vehicle, but authorities were able to contact them after identifying the license plate on the truck.
The avalanche occurred on a known path for slides, which has been named Seven Sister 6. The slide was about 164 feet wide and 4 to 5 feet deep, the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) reported.
The Summit County Sheriff’s Office was able to fly a drone to see an aerial view of where the pickup had ended up and the damage from the slide.
As of 12:30 p.m. Saturday, the pickup was still at the scene. Crews will remove it once it is safe to do so, the Clear Creek Sheriff's Office said.
In addition to CAIC, CDOT and the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office, multiple other agencies responded to the incident, including the Summit County Sheriff, Summit Rescue Group, and Alpine Rescue Team.
Loveland Pass will likely remain closed all Saturday, CSP said. Crews are continuing to work to clear the road.
CAIC will release a final report on this avalanche at a later time.
Denver7 | Weather
This weekend is the most dangerous time for avalanches in Colorado
This weekend is the most dangerous period of Colorado's avalanche season, and CAIC warned backcountry explorers to make sure they have a plan that is well-suited for the conditions — or to avoid the danger zones completely.
The combination of Valentine's Day weekend and Presidents Day weekend is "one of the busiest — and deadliest — times of the season," CAIC said. More than one-third of all avalanche fatalities in February occur Feb. 14, 15 and 16, and February is the deadliest overall month for avalanches in the state.
“We expect natural avalanches this weekend, and people venturing into the backcountry will be able to trigger slides big enough to bury, injure, or kill them,” CAIC Director Ethan Greene said. “And once the skies clear on Sunday, the chances of an accident will increase due to the nice weather, new snow, and dangerous avalanche conditions.”
Always check CAIC's website for avalanche conditions and forecasts before heading out. Bring essential gear, which includes an avalanche transceiver, a shovel and a probe, and understand how to use them.
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