Travel during heavy snow in Colorado is no joke, and it's important to abide by weather-related closures that get put in place for the safety of yourself and others on the road. One driver learned that lesson the hard way on Thursday when, according to the Grand County Sheriff's Office, they traveled past a closure sign and were ultimately hit by a Colorado Department of Transportation snow plow driver who was attempting to "protect and shield other vehicles" from their SUV.

At about 12:06 p.m., the driver of a silver Jeep Cherokee allegedly failed to stop at a Berthoud Pass highway closure point at Mary Jane Road on the Winter Park side of the pass. Keep in mind that Berthoud Pass has gotten about 25 inches of snow in recent hours.

Law enforcement says that the driver of the Jeep Cherokee passed staff at the closure point, including a Grand County Sheriff's Office sergeant positioned at the location.

After the sergeant attempted a traffic stop, the Jeep Cherokee continued its route up the pass. The sergeant pursued the vehicle to the top of the pass before turning the situation over to Clear Creek County law enforcement.

About five miles after the Jeep Cherokee made it past the Berthoud Pass summit, it was struck by a CDOT plow driver, who was attempting "to protect and shield other vehicles from the suspect's vehicle."




moar

Good plow! "crash" that idiot needed it.

I can relate.  They close the roads far too early, IMO.  

Drove over Vail pass last year, all commercial vehicles had to chain up (by law).  Road was only wet up and over the pass.

FCDOT

Hello Motoring Public!

24 year CDOT veteran.
18 Winters in a plow.
12 of those winters as a driver trainer.
If the road is closed the fuckin road is closed you ignorant stupid fuckhead- you get what ever comes your way.
Sucks to be you.
I would have run his ass into the ditch too.

To the "FCDOT" comment- I will agree with F their policies, politics and priorities. These roads are the worst I have ever seen in my life but boy howdy we now have the fancy Variable Message Boards and neato bike lanes!
Fuck You CDOT- maintain the goddamn roads and right of way.

But I strongly disagree with the "FCDOT" when its directed to the guy in the lime green trying to do his job.
How about you go stand in the middle of the highway with a 90# jackhammer fixing a pothole when its 10 below zero at 0300?
Respect the plow- they are there trying to get you where you are going.
Snow removal is a contact sport- you WILL hit somebody (or they will hit you) if your in a plow enough.
I personally tallied an even 1/2 dozen. None were my fault.
I had cars attempt to pass me on the right 4 times and they were unsuccessful- you hit that windrow in your shitbox and it sucks you right into my tandems. All I felt was a bump and the truck jump a little. Totaled your shit though didnt it.
2BAD4U
I hit a manhole on Wadsworth that was sitting high and it shoved my truck into the car to my left.
2BAD4U
The worst one was I hit a Ford Ranger damn near head on on south Sante Fe- I was rolling southbound and he was northbound. He tried to make a left turn into a gas station and when he hit the snow in the center it almost stopped him and there was no way I could stop-hit that Ranger right behind the cab at about a 45 degree angle with a 14' plow.
2BAD4U

A funny one on Berthoud- my old crew leader had been on Berthoud Pass for 12 or 14 years. He ate the back half of a VW bug with a Coleman Rotary. It was covered over with a drift and you couldnt see it.