21 Passengers Rescued From A Bus Stuck On A Mountain Backroad
The I-70 closure due to the mudslides through Glenwood Canyon has been wreaking havoc on traffic for weeks and it almost cost a bunch of lives but thankfully, that was NOT the case when a Greyhound bus with 21 passengers got stuck on a backroad (Coffee Pot Springs Road) which is high up in the Rockies.
According to the Garfield County Sheriff's Office, he bus got stuck about 6 p.m. Friday on Coffee Pot Springs Road,which is a dirt and gravel road typically used by four-wheel drive and all terrain vehicles, NOT Greyhound Buses.
One of the passengers was an elderly woman who had a heart condition, thankfully she was rescued by the Garfield County Sheriffs and brought down to safety. As was everyone else on the bus.
This could have ended awfully due to a very bad and dangerous choice by the bus driver to try to drive a huge bus on one of these mountain roads.
Typically these roads are basically dirt and gravel and have huge bumps in them and many times can only be navigated by 4 wheel drive and/or off road vehicles with higher clearance.
The bus suffered pretty significant damage to its oil pan and leaked a bunch of oil which could have also caused another dangerous situation but thankfully was able to be cleaned up by a hazardous materials crew.
Travelers are advised NOT to follow GPS mapping in an attempt to avoid the I-70 closure through Glenwood Canyon Not only are these roads unpredictable, the weather at that elevation can change in an instant and can strand even the most experienced drivers.
If you need to drive over the mountains, the way around Glenwood Canyon when traveling west remains exiting I-70 at Exit 205 (Silverthorne exit) and travel north on Colorado Highway 9 towards Kremmling.
Continue west on US Highway 40 and south on CO 13 to complete the alternate route and returning to I-70 at Rifle (Exit 90). When traveling east, reverse this path.
Sure, this detour is a pain in the butt and can add between 1.5 hours to 2 hours to your trip, but it's better to take a little more time to get to where you need to get to safely and enjoy some beautiful scenery during the drive than taking these dangerous backroads and not making it or getting stranded.
Be safe out there, crews are working tirelessly to get the interstate open again ASAP.
PHOTOS: Worst Northern Colorado Crashes In Last 5 Years
9 Signs You Know You Are From Colorado