The driver of a box truck that slammed into a passenger bus on Colorado Highway 145 south of Telluride was cited for careless driving, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The crash occurred May 1 during a spring snowstorm near the Alta Lakes turnoff at mile marker 65. No one was seriously injured.
The bus involved was the Bustang Outrider, a commercial carrier that has a daily round-trip route from Durango to Grand Junction. It is operated by Road Runner Stage Lines, based in Ignacio.
According to witness statements, the southbound truck driver lost control on a mountain curve in slushy conditions, crossed into the oncoming lane and crashed into the northbound bus.
When the Bustang driver saw the out-of-control truck, he slowed and pulled to the right side of the road in an attempt to avoid a collision, said Matt Nesbitt, division director at Roadrunner Transportation.
The bus driver had time to inform his eight passengers to “brace for impact.”
All riders were transported to Telluride Medical Center for medical evaluation, and two had minor injuries. About 70 gallons of diesel fuel spilled onto the highway, which was closed for nearly three hours during cleanup and towing operations. Telluride Transit assisted in helping the stranded passengers.
After being medically cleared, the passengers were fed lunch and interviewed by investigators. They were transported to Grand Junction that afternoon, provided free hotel rooms and scheduled for transportation to final destinations if needed.
The regular service from Durango to Grand Junction resumed the next day using another coach, and Nesbitt said the damaged bus will be repaired, which is expected to take a month or more.
“Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured, and we are back in operation,” he said.
