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