"Leaving Colorful Colorado" sign destroyed in crash
A sprinter van pulling a cargo trailer veered off westbound Interstate 70 Saturday evening. No one was injured in the accident - unless you count a historic road sign as a casualty.
After leaving the pavement, the vehicle smashed into a much-photographed "Leaving Colorful Colorado" sign that faced westbound traffic heading into Utah.
"RIP," sign, the Lower Valley Fire District posted on social media. "You served travelers well."
That department's crews were dispatched to mile marker 231, just west of the Colorado-Utah border, at a quarter after 6 Saturday evening.
The driver of the van was out of the vehicle and walking around when those crews arrived at the scene. The unidentified driver was not seriously injured, according to the fire department.
The driver claimed a blown tire caused the loss of control, and the vehicle left the roadway. The local landmark was in its path.
The van reportedly rolled and eventually came to a stop against a tree, Capt. Adam Compton of Lower Valley Fire District, told CBS Colorado.
Lisa Schoch, Senior Historian with the Colorado Department of Transportation, told CBS Colorado that 40 signs of the same style were posted along the state's borders in the 1950's. They were made by CDOT employees.
"They're very rustic and kind of old school," Schoch said. "Now everything's digital. I think these signs are very authentic. They're part of our highway history. A simple sign can have a big story."
The wooden signs were briefly replaced in the 1990's with a purple and orange metal sign that proclaimed, "Welcome to Colorado, mountains and much more," according to Schoch.
The old wooden signs were put back in place after negative public reaction to the more colorful metal ones.
"People really rebeled," Schoch said. "These (wooden signs) are iconic. They're part of our history."
Other wooden signs still exist in the area of Saturday's incident, including the "Welcome To Colorful Colorado" sign facing eastbound traffic and a Utah sign welcoming westbound drivers to that state.
