- BichHuyen
- November 9, 2026
Colorado Driver Nearly Plunges Into Raging River After Ignoring Roadblock at Collapsed Bridge
A driver in Colorado came frighteningly close to plunging into a raging river after apparently driving straight through a roadblock and approaching a bridge that had been destroyed by severe flooding.
Dramatic footage released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife shows a pickup truck approaching the damaged crossing on U.S. Highway 160 near the Piedra River in southwestern Colorado on November 2. As the vehicle moves toward the broken roadway, several people can be seen desperately waving their arms to stop the driver.
A sheriff’s deputy and workers wearing high-visibility safety vests rushed to get the motorist’s attention, shouting for the truck to stop and reverse.
The vehicle eventually came to a halt just feet from the collapsed section. The driver then backed away from the edge, narrowly avoiding what could have been a catastrophic plunge into the floodwaters below.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said the driver had gone through a Colorado Department of Transportation roadblock that had been installed to prevent motorists from entering the dangerous stretch of highway.
In a warning accompanying the footage, the agency urged drivers not to ignore barricades, emphasizing that the bridge over the Piedra River was no longer passable.
The incident unfolded as southwestern Colorado was struggling with historic flooding after repeated rounds of heavy rain. Rivers and streams surged, roads were washed away, bridges were damaged and entire communities faced dangerous conditions.
The Piedra River Bridge on U.S. Highway 160, approximately 18 miles west of Pagosa Springs, suffered a particularly severe failure. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, the bridge’s supporting piers collapsed, leaving the crossing in need of complete reconstruction.
The damage was part of a much wider disaster. Several sections of U.S. 160 sustained serious damage, while other highways experienced washouts, mudslides, rockfalls and dangerous flooding. Some roads remained completely impassable, forcing residents and travelers to take lengthy detours.
Authorities warned that the danger did not end when rainfall stopped. Fast-moving water, unstable road surfaces and damaged infrastructure continued to threaten anyone attempting to travel through the affected areas.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife also described the flooding as a major disruption to local communities and its own operations, with some offices and facilities forced to close because of power, internet and cellular service outages.
The Colorado Department of Transportation said emergency crews were working to restore access wherever possible, but some locations would require full reconstruction. Officials also warned motorists to check road conditions before traveling and to respect every closure.
For the driver in the video, the consequences of ignoring the barricade could have been devastating. The footage shows just how close the pickup came to the broken edge before workers managed to stop it.
The near-disaster has become a stark warning to anyone traveling through flood-damaged areas: a closed road may conceal a bridge, roadway or entire stretch of highway that has already disappeared beneath the floodwaters.
Source link: DAILYMAIL
