08-08-2025
Father identified as one of 2 who died in Colorado when car plunged 320 feet down mountainside
Colorado authorities are providing more details about this week's tragic crash on Red Mountain Pass where a girl survived a 320 foot fall in a car while two other adults inside were killed.
The two adults were in the front seat and both were from New Mexico, according to the Ouray County Coroner's Office. They were 42-year-old Louis Michael and 79-year-old Leoba Valdez. The man was that girl's father.
The crash happened south of Ouray on Tuesday morning on a stretch of Highway 550 -- the Million Dollar Highway -- that climbers know as "The Waterfall." The car rolled down the side of the mountain and a complicated rescue operation involving ropes ensued.
The cause of that crash is now under investigation.
"We extend our sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of Mr. Michael and Ms. Valdez during this incredibly difficult time," Ouray County Coroner's Office wrote in a news release.
The crash was the first of three different crashes on Highway 550 in a three-day stretch.
