Rolled Jeep on Schofield Pass Road
This rollover happened yesterday, 8th of August. Story is that an 80-year-old guy was driving this rental Jeep, over-corrected, and flipped the rig on a section of road where it’s hard to imagine anything like this could happen. Some folks came along with a winch, flopped it back to a side stance, and thus moved it out of the road. No one was hurt (good testimony as to how well modern Jeeps are built.
Rolled Jeep on Schofield/Leadking road, August 8 2009. (Click image to enlarge).
Excellent lesson. You can’t let your guard down. More, the experience level of the driver is unknown, but if he was driving a rental one would suspect he didn’t belong on that trail. As we’ve said before, if you’re going to drive these steep sided shelf roads (this guy probably steered into the steep upside, thus pitching him over), at least a bit of experience 4-wheeling moderate terrain is a good idea — so you have a feel for things before upping the challenge. Otherwise, leave the driving to a pro (see 4×4 tours link in our sidebar.)
Exact location of this accident is a few hundred feet on the Crystal side of the Leadking Road junction. GPS (WGS84) 39.05982 -107.09739.
Looking at the rolled rig from up the road. The strap was left to secure it. It appeared the vehical could have easily been righted and rolled towed out to civilization. But it's a rental, better to just leave it for the tow truck?
Yikes!!
Planning on going out there on Sunday, hope that there are’nt two many neophytes like this one. I will be looking for the “Rumble Bee”, Hope to see you on the road.
Happy Trails!
“Conestoga TLC”
Hi 84, if we’re up there we’ll be looking for you. Thanks for visiting the site!
Had a near miss on this road, too. See the story here:
http://www.typeamom.net/family-travel-can-be-family-fun-or-roadtrip-disaster.html
Bet he doesn’t get his deposit back. Glad that he is okay.
I drove up past the mill from marble in a Ford E150 in 1988 to a wedding. Paul the mountain man was in the wedding.He still around ?
I was stranded on Scofield Pass for almost 2 days during a snowstorm on 11/8-9/1988 in a Chevy Baretta sportscar. Was rescued by snowmobilers from Crested Butte and had to pay $1500 to have the road plowed to get the car out. Scofield Pass is near and dear to me….thanks for the site….
Just found your site. Nice idea.
I also saw the after effects of this incident. Have a picture very much like the second one above. The story I got was that the old gentleman hit the accellerator instead of the brake. So your assumption of inexperience is likely correct. The towing company from Denver drove it out of there flat tire and all.
We observed this accident as well.
I tried to email IAW the contact page. Undeliverable. The previous post I left did not show up. What’s up with that?
I’m putting a link to you on my web page. Thanks for the kind words on your linkage to CRJT. Contact me please.
– Glenn Smith, Crystal River Jeep Tours
Hi Smitty,
Sorry about any problems with the links here. I’m on a big road trip in Alaska, when I get back I’ll be working on the Schofield site all summer and hope to be seeing you guys up there and writing about what you do. Thanks for visiting. Lou
Yeah, Jeep season is open on the Lead King Loop. Drove it entirely yesterday, only one patch of snow about 75 yds long, but totally passable. Even came across a built XJ that had recently rolled off one of the milder switchbacks on the Marble side of Lead King. My guess is they were up there when it was still snowpacked and tried to punch through, but obviously didn’t make it. I’ll email you some pics.