[MINERAL COUNTY, Colo.] — A 23-year-old truck driver from New York was killed Monday morning when his semi-truck hauling canned drinks went off Highway 160 and rolled down the mountainside on Wolf Creek Pass, according to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP).

Troopers were called to the scene shortly before 8:30 a.m. on November 3, where they found debris scattered down a steep embankment about 17 miles north of Pagosa Springs.

Investigators said the 2020 Freightliner was heading southbound when it hit the right barrier wall, bounced off, then broke through the guardrail on the left side before tumbling down the mountain. The trailer split open, spilling canned drinks across the roadway.

The truck’s cab and trailer were both destroyed, and the driver was ejected from the vehicle. He was later found deceased among the wreckage.

According to CSP, the semi was traveling at high speed, and smoke was seen coming from the brakes before the crash. Troopers noted that the driver did not use the runaway truck ramp located about 1.5 miles before the crash site.

The Colorado Department of Transportation used a plow to clear spilled cargo from the road. While the highway remained open, recovery efforts are expected to take several hours.

According to FOX21 News.

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