Jeep rolled off of Black Bear

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rouxbicon

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Apparently the driver got out to spot someone around one of the switchbacks, and the Jeep rolled down the mountainside with the female passenger still inside. She was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition.

https://durangoherald.com/articles/349779
wrecked Jeep.jpg
 
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Might want to put it in gear and not just rely on the emergency brake.
 
I learned my lesson about putting it in gear when I was 14 or 15 and still learning to drive stick. Came back from eating a burger and found my Jeep across the parking lot, over a curb, and sitting in a bush :rolleyes:. My Dad had a good laugh about that since he kept telling me to leave it in gear as he had done for the past 40+ years of driving stick.

My only damage was a bent license plate. Thankfully the consequences weren't as bad as the above.
 
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My late father was famous for not setting parking brakes, etc, etc...

We were unhitching our fifth-wheel at Organ Pipe Cactus Nat'l Monunment - as soon as the hitch came out of the socket on the truck, the truck started rolling down the slight incline. Both doors were open, dad leaped in the passenger side and slid across the seat on his belly and pressed the brake pedal with his hand - about 35 milliseconds before I leaped in the drivers side and stomped on said pedal with my foot!

Good times...
 
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This is sad but very easy to do the same mistake as what this driver did and judging his girl friends age, they are not from the old school.
 
Zorba said:
My late father was famous for not setting parking brakes, etc, etc...

We were unhitching our fifth-wheel at Organ Pipe Cactus Nat'l Monunment - as soon as the hitch came out of the socket on the truck, the truck started rolling down the slight incline. Both doors were open, dad leaped in the passenger side and slid across the seat on his belly and pressed the brake pedal with his hand - about 35 milliseconds before I leaped in the drivers side and stomped on said pedal with my foot!

Good times...
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So what happened? Did you smash his hand to get the truck stopped?
 
It was the 2nd switchback going down. It's the first switchback in my movie. My understanding is that the driver was past the switchback and stopped to get out an spot the turn for a friend. He says the manual trans was in gear and the emergency brake was on. You can see a tour truck stopped where the crasher must have stopped. I've seen some reports that the emergency brake on the new Jeeps is electronic. Anybody know if that is fact or fiction?

 
My strongest memory from the switchbacks is being on a steep downhill in low gear and low range and the brakes would barely hold. I came back and ordered a big brake kit. :) It's steeper than it looks, and it looks steep. :)

i-SLdVWwF-XL.jpg
 
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jjvw said:
Easy trail with expert consequences
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I've seen that line before over on the San Juan Mountains Facebook page. Was that you writing that there too? :)

In my mind, anything that you can drive through without getting stuck or broken down is easy. In the case of Black Bear Pass, the famous parts are all down hill. Anybody can go downhill in almost any vehicle. The only real problems are dragging your expensive parts over rocks, flopping over on one of the steps, or going off the edge. In that sense, Black Bear is easy.

My experience was that the length of the test, the need for strong brakes, the need to maintain composure in traffic (there is a lot of traffic), and the possible consequences make the ride into one of the hard categories of easy.

 
andy29847 said:
I've seen that line before over on the San Juan Mountains Facebook page. Was that you writing that there too? :)

....
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It's a common phrase and very true. Almost any stock suv can safely run Black Bear. All one needs to do is stay on the road and you'll be fine. :)

Something like Poughkeepsie Gulch, a few miles away is not an easy trail like Black Bear is, but it isn't likely to kill you if you screw up.
 
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