Tesla going roughly 60 mph crashes near Aspen High School curve, damages county’s message board
A driver who was speeding on Maroon Creek Road earlier this week damaged an electronic message board and a guardrail after taking a curve too fast and crashing his new Tesla, according to a police report. The accident occurred just after 6 p.m. Tuesday after the driver, who was northbound on Maroon Creek, tore through a construction site at what one witness said was between 60 mph and 80 mph and later hit the curve near Aspen High School’s football field at a similar speed, the report states.
“(The driver) admitted he was speeding and estimated that he was driving at approximately 60 mph,” according to the Aspen Police report, which noted the posted speed limit in the area is 30 mph. “(The driver) said he did not expect such a sharp turn, lost control and hit the gravel, … and it slid into the oncoming traffic lane, hit a parked traffic trailer on the shoulder lane and continued sliding into the guardrail.”
When a Pitkin County sheriff’s deputy arrived on scene, he found the Tesla “pinned up against the guardrail,” the report states. The two men were standing outside the car and were not injured.
“(The driver) said he had just purchased the Tesla a few weeks ago and he was still not used to how fast it was,” according to the police report. The report did not specify the model of Tesla.
The traffic trailer carried a variable message sign owned by Pitkin County that advised leaf peepers they have to make parking reservations at the Maroon Bells to be able to drive up and visit, said Scott Mattice, the county’s road and bridge director. The accident did about $5,000 worth of damage to the sign board, he said.
A construction worker said the car drove through the 20 mph construction area recklessly and that he couldn’t believe the driver “did not kill anyone,” according to the police report.
The Tesla had signficant damage and had to be towed from the scene.
The driver received a ticket for reckless driving and speeding.
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