Over a period of four days, Colorado State Patrol recorded seven crashes on U.S. Highway 40. These crashes occurred in Clear Creek and Grand counties, and one resulted in a fatality and serious injuries.

On Feb. 27, two rollovers occurred at the same location on the Clear Creek side of Berthoud Pass, according to state patrol. Two separate vehicles rolled near a curve at mile marker 243. The incidents happened about 15 minutes apart. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

The next day, another two crashes occurred in the same area of Berthoud Pass. First, one vehicle slid into a snowbank and rolled with no injuries reported. Then another vehicle crashed, with minor damage reported.

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The trend continued March 1 with another two crashes. The first occurred in the same location as previous days, and the second occurred at mile marker 252, between Berthoud Pass and the town of Empire. There were no injuries reported in either crash.

Then on the morning of March 2, a serious crash happened on U.S. Highway 40 near Winter Park Resort. According to the Fraser Winter Park Police Department, the crash was at mile marker 232, between Lakota Drive and the north entrance to Winter Park Drive.

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The police department wrote in a news release that there was one fatality — later identified as Richard Strobel, 71, of Littleton — and two people received serious injuries when a westbound truck “lost traction on icy roads and veered into the eastbound lane of travel,” hitting two vehicles.

How to stay safe in all conditions

Two days before the fatal accident, the Fraser Winter Park Police Department cautioned drivers in a Facebook post.

“With recent warm, sunny days causing snow to melt, be aware that temperatures can drop quickly, leading to dangerous black ice on the roads,” the department wrote. “Please drive cautiously, reduce your speed, and keep a safe distance from other vehicles.”

At the time of the Facebook post, Grand County had experienced a spate of warmer-than-normal temperatures with no snow. This created a cycle of snowbanks melting onto dry pavement, then refreezing as temperatures dropped.

“Let’s ensure everyone gets to their destination safely,” the department wrote. “Remember, black ice is hard to spot but easy to encounter.”

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office shared that drivers should always “remain vigilant,” adding that even as temperatures warm, some roads can be “icy and snow-packed, which include areas of spring runoff that oftentimes freeze.”

Colorado State Patrol Trooper Gabriel Moltrer agreed that drivers must be extra cautious during spring weather conditions. He shared the following safety tips with Sky-Hi News.

• Tires

First, Moltrer recommends that drivers ensure they have properly rated tires for the conditions, so they don’t lose traction in snow or ice.

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• Braking

If a driver hits an icy patch, they should never slam on the brakes, he said.

“By slamming on your brakes, you carry that momentum,” he said. “By gradually slowing, you’re able to come to a safer stop.”  

If a vehicle has an anti-lock braking system, there is no need to pump the brakes, since the system will do that automatically.  

• Following distance

According to Moltrer, a rule of thumb for following distance is to keep one car length behind for every 10 mph of speed. For example, when going 30 mph, there should be three car lengths between drivers. He added that in inclement weather, it’s better to have even more space between cars.

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• Speed

“If you are driving in conditions where ice is present, make sure you are taking your time, going below the speed limit to ensure you’re staying well behind other vehicles,” he said. “… If they get traction to stop and you don’t, you’re still carrying that momentum of 30 mph forward.”

• Supplies

Finally, if drivers find themselves trapped in traffic or a snowstorm, they should carry supplies and provisions such as extra clothing, blankets, food and water.

CDOT road maintenance measures

The Colorado Department of Transportation maintains U.S. Highway 40. After recent crashes on the state-owned highway, community members have expressed frustrations about the icy conditions and questioned whether the department did enough to maintain the roads.

According to the department’s spokesperson Austyn Dineen, “crews in the mountains work around the clock in rotating shifts to treat and clear roads.”

Since “Berthoud Pass is a vital route for towns like Winter Park,” crews ramp up their operations to before, during and after storms remove snow from the roads, Dineen said.

Before a storm hits, crews will place anti-icers as a preventive treatment. The anti-icers contain liquid salt compounds that lower the freezing point of water, which helps stop snow and ice from bonding to the roadway.

Dineen said crews are using a “new, environmentally friendly de-icer that helps break up ice more quickly, improving roadway conditions and keeping the pass operational.”

She recommended that drivers never try to pass a plow truck; instead continue to drive behind it. This is because friction from vehicles’ wheels will activate the the de-icing treatment, improving road conditions.

A red salt treatment is also used as well as sand as a last resort.

In regard to ice on the road, she explained that the “west side of the pass often remains shaded throughout the day, leading to icy conditions even on clear, sunny days.”

She added that weather changes fast in the High County so safety measures such as proper tires and situational awareness are critical.

“The bottom line is drivers also need to take responsibility for their own safety,” she stated. “If everyone drove cautiously and prepared for conditions, we would see far fewer crashes.”

For updates on road conditions and traffic, visit CoTrip.org or download the COtrip Planner app.