(MINERAL COUNTY, Colo.) Tragedy struck on Monday, Nov. 3, when a semi truck driver lost his life after his vehicle veered off Highway 160, plummeting down the mountainside at Wolf Creek Pass.

The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) reported that troopers arrived on the scene shortly before 8:30 a.m. The crash involved a semi truck loaded with canned beverages, which careened off the road approximately 17 miles north of Pagosa Springs. Initial assessments revealed the vehicle had left the highway and descended the steep terrain.

CSP detailed that the 2020 Freightliner was traveling south on Hwy 160 when it collided with a barrier on the right side. The impact caused the truck to ricochet, crossing over the left guardrail and tumbling down the slope. As the semi descended, its trailer ruptured, spilling its cargo onto the road.