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Truck takes fatal fall in Glenwood Canyon

Dennis Webb
News Editor

A Colorado man died Sunday following a spectacular crash in which the truck he was driving in Glenwood Canyon went off Interstate 70, onto the adjacent bike path and into the Colorado River.

James Cardell Davis II, 45, of Highlands Ranch, was extricated from the truck and died on the way to Valley View Hospital, the Colorado State Patrol reported.

No bike path users were injured, even though the crash occurred on a sunny weekend afternoon of the kind when the path often sees heavy usage.



The truck spilled a load of furniture into the river and some diesel fuel onto the bike path, officials reported.

The crash took place at about 2:15 p.m., four miles east of Glenwood Springs. It caused the left lane of eastbound Interstate 70 to be closed for about five hours.



A witness to the crash told authorities that Davis was traveling at a high rate of speed when he came into a left curve and attempted to change to the right lane.

By law, vehicles more than 30,000 pounds in weight must remain in the right lane in the canyon.

Davis’ 2001 Peterbilt truck left rolling tire marks on the road for 423 feet, before rolling a quarter turn onto the guardrail. The semi started to rotate counter-clockwise, while the trailer slid along the guardrail for 107 feet before falling 18 feet to the bike path, pulling the tractor with it.

The trailer rolled into the river, while the tractor detached from it and the sleeper was crushed.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash. It remains under investigation.


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