Driver miraculously survives 300-foot plunge off Colorado highway

A driver miraculously survived a 300-foot plunge over the side of a highway in Colorado last week, walking away with only minor injuries, officials said.

The wreck happened along U.S. Highway 550 in Ouray on Oct. 9, the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team, Inc. said in a statement on Facebook.

Rescuers responded around 12:20 p.m. to a report that a pickup truck had plummeted 300 feet into the Uncompahgre River Gorge off the highway, the statement said.

First responders from Ouray County EMS, Ouray Volunteer Fire Department and Ouray Mountain Rescue Team rigged a rope system to rappel down to the sole occupant of the vehicle.

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A pickup truck crashed over the side of U.S. Highway 550 and plunged 300 feet in Ouray, Colorado, on Thursday, Oct. 9. (Ouray Mountain Rescue Team, Inc.)

Officials said the driver sustained minor injuries. 

The rescue team shared photos of the mangled vehicle and the driver walking up the steep ledge with assistance from a rescuer to return to the highway.

Rescuers said the driver walked away from the wreck with only minor injuries. (Ouray Mountain Rescue Team, Inc.)

“Glad he’s not hurt very bad,” one person wrote in response to the rescue team’s post on Facebook. “Time to buy a lottery ticket.”

“Minor injuries after this? WOW! Seems like a miracle,” another wrote.

Rescuers set up a technical rope system to rappel down to the driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle. (Ouray Mountain Rescue Team, Inc.)

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U.S. Highway 550, known as the “Million Dollar Highway,” is “a scenic and treacherous mountain road” that is popular among adventure seekers, road trippers and outdoor enthusiasts, according to the town of Ouray’s tourism webpage.

The 25-mile stretch of roadway, however, has earned a reputation as one of the “most dangerous roads in America” due to narrow lanes, sharp turns and lack of a guardrail between the roadway and steep ledge, the site says.

“Though it is labeled as one of the most dangerous roads in the United States, if you stick to the speed limit, stay within the lines, and be aware of your surroundings you will travel just fine,” the page reads. “Campers, Semi-Trucks, and trucks with trailers travel this road frequently.”

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The highway was the site of two fatal crashes over the summer, local outlet KKTV reported.