Beer Spill! Colorado Truck Driver Loses Control, Spills 42,100 Pounds Of Brew Onto The Highway

Drivers along a mountain stretch of highway near Durango, Colorado, got an unexpected treat last week: a truck driver lost control of his cargo of beer and spilled it — all 42,000 gallons of it — onto the highway.

As the Durango Herald reports, trucker Adam Catic, 25, was attempting to navigate a notoriously difficult stretch of highway when he lost control of his vehicle. Rachel Smith was following behind him along Wolf Creek Pass when she noticed that something was amiss.

“I was about a quarter of the way down the pass when I started smelling that smoke. When I got closer, I could see smoke in the road.”

If you’ve ever driven along a mountainous stretch of highway, you know that some roads have a sort-of failsafe for drivers who have lost control: an exit ramp that allows drivers to get off the road and go up a steep hill, presumably to slow the vehicle and get it away from other traffic.

Smith said she watched Catic pass up a first exit ramp, but then she realized he was in trouble; by the time he came up to the second ramp, he took it. He was just in time, too: it was the last exit ramp before entering into an even more treacherous stretch of road full of switchbacks going down the mountain.

Smith checked on the driver to make sure he was okay — he was — but unfortunately (or, fortunately, depending on your point of view), his cargo of beer and energy drinks didn’t make it.

“It was an absolute fountain of beer. The beer was just absolutely everywhere.” https://t.co/HoQ2ViUIUs

— Ben Thompson (@thebent) July 17, 2017

At least one Durango Herald reader managed to sneak in a joke at the expense of the trucker and his cargo.

Joe Green: “Well, it was probbly [sic] Bud Light, so no loss.”

Actually, Joe, it is Bud Light: you can tell from the picture in the tweet embedded below, showing the damaged cargo a little more clearly.

NO! Oh, wait.
Semi driver dumps 42,100 pounds of beer on Wolf Creek Pass: https://t.co/mF9XLAKUt4 pic.twitter.com/wGtyE8pKoi

— Jenn Fields (@jennfields) July 17, 2017

Of course, that stretch of Highway 160 in Colorado is no joke; the Colorado Department of Transportation has launched a campaign, “Beware the Wolf,” to educate drivers about the dangers of the road.

See how this driver survives harrowing descent on Wolf Creek Pass in the Rockies. https://t.co/bxY8njXDpU pic.twitter.com/jzwY8eS8Xe

— David Hollis (@truckersnews_dh) July 16, 2017

And in case you were wondering, no, spilled cargo from a trucking accident is not considered yours for the taking. So if you happen to witness a beer truck spilling all over the highway, don’t think that you can just grab a few intact bottles and a have a free party.

[Featured Image by Okea/Thinkstock]