4 Colorado State Patrol vehicles have been struck by out-of-control drivers on I-70 mountain corridor this week

EAGLE — When Colorado State Patrol Trooper Jacob Best’s cruiser was sideswiped Sunday, Dec. 26, during the snowstorm on the I-70 mountain corridor, that was the least of the damage.

“Not 30 seconds after that, a vehicle in the right lane lost control and came into the scene and rear-ended my vehicle, which almost struck another trooper who was on foot,” Best said.

It was one of four separate incidents in which State Patrol vehicles have been struck by motorists on the I-70 mountain corridor between the Eisenhower Tunnel and Glenwood Springs this week. Two incidents happened on Sunday, and two more happened on Monday, Dec. 27, Best said.

Two highway patrol officers have had minor injuries; Best said the incidents serve as a reminder to everyone else of how dangerous conditions are for those working I-70 this week.

“We’re just asking for everyone’s patience and to slow down and drive with due regard, so everyone gets to their destination safely,” Best said.

‘Violators are Colorado residents’

Best says the vehicle that sideswiped his patrol cruiser was being driven by an Eagle County resident. The tires on the vehicle were “completely bald,” Best said.

“Sometimes, the visitors are blamed for these closures or spun-out vehicles, but to be frankly honest, the majority of violators that we are dealing with are Colorado residents,” Best said.

Best was working with a single-lane open on the interstate when his vehicle was hit, and said it’s a good example of why first responders often opt to close the highway altogether rather than deal with the danger of a single-lane open situation.

“These safety closures have helped us in the long run, reducing closure times,” Best said.

That’s what happened in Monday’s extended closure of I-70 in Vail, when a one-hour scheduled closure for avalanche mitigation turned into a three-hour closure.

“A multicar crash in Officer’s Gulch was what extended that closure out, it didn’t actually have anything to do with the avalanche clearing,” Best said. “We were clearing the crashes in Summit County, and as a precaution we closed it in Vail.”

In the hours before Monday’s extended closure, another closure had occurred on Vail Pass when a crash on the westbound side of I-70 closed the interstate heading into Vail.

“Just near the top of the pass, we had a truck going slow, and another truck swerve to miss that truck, and it ended up in the snowbank with another car going in the other snowbank,” Best said. “We had to get tows in there to pull them out backwards.”

No major Vail Pass closures since Monday

While the miserable Monday appeared to be a harbinger of what would follow during the busy holiday week, Best on Thursday, Dec. 30, said thankfully no major incidents have occurred since then on Vail Pass.

“We’ve had some little safety closures, either for zero visibility, or for the brief removal or a vehicle, but that has been it,” Best said.

Best said he is keeping his fingers crossed with hopes that drivers remain careful with another busy travel weekend looming, and more extreme weather in the forecast.

“They’re predicting poor road conditions, and if the roads are poor, we’re encouraging people to stay home if travel is not necessary,” Best said.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the area to last through 5 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 1.

Best said he recommends COTrip.org for the latest info in highway conditions.

“Visit COTrip.org and plan accordingly,” he said. “As Colorado residents, we should be the ambassadors and the examples of proper mountain-snowy-roadway driving.”

This story is from VailDaily.com.

This content was originally published here.