- A Kia Telluride ended up getting stuck on Black Bear Pass.
- Driver was ticketed and the vehicle was eventually towed.
- The incident occurred just outside of Telluride, Colorado.
Kia is gearing up to introduce a new generation of the Telluride that’s expected to have a hybrid powertrain as well as a lifted off-road variant. That more capable model will unfortunately arrive too late for one driver who decided to take their mall crawler up Black Bear Pass near Telluride, Colorado, the mountain town that also lends its name to Kia’s SUV.
In a viral Facebook post, Colorado’s San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office revealed a South Carolina man decided to tackle the rocky, one way road despite being “advised not to do so by people in the area.” The driver managed to get three or four switchbacks past the Bridal Veil Falls, before getting stuck.
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It’s not clear how this happened, as the road ahead appears free of obstacles, but images suggest the crossover was cresting a hill before things went sideways. This implies the driver may have had limited visibility of the ground ahead.
Regardless, his mistake created a big mess as the crossover ended up “teetering off the edge” above the falls. This required a tow, which is easier said than done on a tight, mountain pass.
While Black Bear Pass was shut down for awhile, the Sheriff’s Office posted an update yesterday announcing the Telluride had been successfully freed from its rocky resting place. As a result, Black Bear Pass and Bridal Veil Road are now open.
The Sheriff’s Office also responded to multiple questions by confirming the driver was issued a citation. The exact circumstances are unclear, but they were ticketed for “failure to obey a traffic control device,” which was a one way sign.
San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office
