Vehicles Have Been Falling Through Pass Near Ouray

Colorado has no shortage of off-road trails for 4x4 enthusiasts, for nearly all levels of skill from quiet, scenic drives to extreme trails for adrenaline enthusiasts. However, one particular drive here in Western Colorado has become especially problematic for off-road drivers.

Located just southeast of Ouray, Engineer Pass sits at roughly 12,000 feet and has been a favorite destination for off-roaders to get their adrenaline pumping. However, a section of the pass has become extremely dangerous and in the past few weeks alone, four vehicles became trapped as the section of the road gave way underneath them.

Gregg Cawfield, administrator of the Facebook group "The Jeeps of the San Juans" had this to say about the condition of the pass:

"There's a large drainage culvert that goes under the road and it's creating essentially a washout on the under side of the road, unfortunately causing their vehicles to flip over. It's a pretty extreme situation and pretty dangerous."

Although the aforementioned vehicles are built to handle extreme conditions, this section of the road doesn't appear to be as dangerous as it is at first glance, causing accidents in which the vehicles flip over, requiring tow trucks other powerful off-road vehicles to flip them over and pull them out.

As of now, there aren't any warnings leading up to the damaged part of the road, which is likely why the four vehicles fell victim to the washout. Luckily, there haven't been any casualties and Cawfield is hoping that until they can fix the road, that sufficient warnings will be put in place.

[Fox31 News]