A 57-year-old man from Oklahoma was cited for careless driving after driving off U.S. Highway 550 near Molas Pass, rolling 95 feet down an embankment and off a cliff.
Colorado State Patrol Trooper Josh Lewis said a 2002 Subaru Forester was headed north on Highway 550 around noon Saturday when the driver, Page Royse, drove off the right side of the road near mile marker 61.
Mile marker 61 is just north of a large bend in the highway near Lime Creek.
Lewis said the vehicle rolled an unknown number of times 95 feet down an embankment and then off a cliff.
Authorities called a Flight For Life helicopter to transport Royse to a medical center, but the flight was ultimately canceled, Lewis said. He was taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center with moderate to serious injuries.
A Mercy spokeswoman said Tuesday morning Royse is in “good condition.”
Lewis said investigators believe Royse went off the side of the road as he looked at directions and became distracted. Alcohol and drugs are not suspected factors in the crash. He was wearing a seat belt, Lewis said.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
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