21 passengers rescued after bus became stuck on mountain backroad in Colorado
Twenty-one passengers on a Greyhound bus were rescued late Friday on a mountain backroad in Colorado after the bus became stuck, according to Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.
The bus got stuck about 6 p.m. Friday on Coffee Pot Springs Road, a dirt and gravel road that leads into White River National Forest and is typically used by four-wheel drive and all terrain vehicles, authorities said.
Coffee Post Springs Road is not an alternative route around Glenwood Canyon, which is closed to motorists along Interstate 70 due to ongoing mudslides and extensive damage.
MORE: Colorado-based airline offering $70 flights to avoid major I-70 closure
The bus was about 23 miles up Coffee Pot Springs Road.
One of the passengers was an “elderly female with heart conditions,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Sergeant Baker of the county’s Sheriff’s Office immediately left Glenwood Springs to the bus and brought the woman back.
While navigating the rough dirt road, the Greyhound bus sustained damage to the oil pan. Oil drained from the bus and spilled down the road. A hazardous materials crew was called to clean up the oil spill.
Greyhound Bus stuck on Colorado road
Photo Courtesy Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office’s Sergeant Burris drove from Glenwood Springs with Garfield County Search and Rescue members in two transport vans to bring the rest of passengers and driver down off the mountain.
By about 11 p.m., the passengers, their luggage, and the driver were loaded into the transport vehicles and taken back to Interstate 70.
Greyhound Bus stuck on Colorado road
Photo Courtesy Garfield County Sheriff’s Office
Officials say “catastrophe was avoided this time” as a threatening rainstorm approached the area of the stranded bus and passengers. The storm passed further north and did not causing delays in the rescue mission.
Travelers are advised not to follow GPS mapping in an attempt to avoid the I-70 closure through Glenwood Canyon. Backcountry roads are unpredictable and can be treacherous or deadly for the unprepared traveler.
The preferred and recommended route around Glenwood Canyon when traveling west remains exiting I-70 at Exit 205 (Silverthorne) and traveling north on Colorado Highway 9 towards Kremmling. Travelers then 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.
The detour can add between 1.5 hours to 2 hours to your trip, depending on traffic, but you will be on well-traveled and paved roads with multiple towns and rest areas along the way.
For updated information on Colorado road closures and conditions, visit cotrip.org.
Photo Credit: Orbon Alija (iStock).
Greyhound Bus stuck on Colorado road
Photo Courtesy Garfield County Sheriff’s Office
