Colorado 4x4 Rescue and Recovery - Old Flowers Road Rollover

On Sunday July 29th, 2018 Colorado 4x4 Rescue and Recovery was dispatched to a rollover on Old Flowers road west of Fort Collins, Colorado.
The manual transmission 1995 Toyota 4 runner presumably lost power climbing the last steep section of road before beginning the descent into Pingree Park, and we also presume might have stalled.
In the process of stalling of course you lose your brake booster and power steering, so the vehicle rolled backwards uncontrolled, caught the steep bank, and flipped.
It is believed the vehicle rolled 1.75 times due to marks on surrounding terrain (partially rain covered so exact impact point is hard to see) and came to rest against a 6 inch diameter tree.
the slope below the vehicle off trail is about 30-40 degrees so multiple security lines were established to prevent an uncontrolled descent down the mountain, and the vehicle was drug sideways back onto the road. once on flat ground it was towed to the top and inspected.
fluids looked good and it was believe to not be hydrolocked, so we bumped the key and it fired up. one of our members drove the vehicle out to the pavement with the owners permission (she was on scene) and a tow truck was coordinated from there.
Old flowers road is a very scenic drive which does not require 4wd in most circumstances (it's essentially a 1 rating for offroad driving), and it is not uncommon to see cars, trucks, and SUVs on the trail/road.
We had this trail blocked between 60-90 minutes during the recovery and started to gather a crowd near the end. We worked as fast as safely possible to minimize disruption of the trail for the public.
Recovery team headed in approximately 8:45 AM and was on-scene by 10. vehicle was at the top of the hill around noon, inspected, we ate lunch, and headed out about 12:45. on pavement by 1:30 and marked as mission complete at 2 PM after airing up.

[@DustinGrahamCA]

Appreciate the thorough descriptions. Interesting how many folks don't realize search and rescue is mostly volunteer. Great video.

[@WhiteCavendish]

One advantage of auto transmission off road - essentially impossible to stall and result in something like this. Good work by the recovery guys! Thanks for doing what you do. I do think it's really important for the community of 4 wheelers to come together and help each other out as much as possible, not only for the obvious reasons, but also because it projects a very positive image to the rest of the public and politicians, who are as often as not trying to shut down the trails we love.

[@gasser55t]

I like how you guys do safety first with all the safety lines. I also like how you take care of our public lands and not just cut the tree down "cuz it would be faster". Groups like you guys help keep land open. I wish we had more groups like you guys here in AZ.

[@nancyrose8028]

Good teamwork, good communication, great supervision with much care being taken to ensure the safety of team! 👍

[@Pops_607]

Great video. Maybe show us your team and your rigs sometime. 👍

[@ffandrewd2986]

Great job! You guys did a great job with scene security/safety.

[@bobmerchant5646]

You guys do a great service for everyone out there.... .. Just an observation from an ex towing company guy - This one could've gone smoother if you had rigged low on the rear tire and pulled from the start.... But great job on the recovery... I love the fact you guys go out of your way to look out for each other and ensure everything is safe.

[@JustinKingOffroad]

there are always lessons to be learned. every trip out we do something better!! thanks a bunch!

[@lonniet.2816]

FIRST TIME SEEING YOU GUYS. GREAT JOB!!

[@JustinKingOffroad]

we were dispatched to a SAR call today and I took video... just got home (22:20 hrs) and i'm beat. will edit tomorrow some time.

[@motojt1]

I can't figure out why they didn't drive the Toyota off the tree... 2 wheels were on the ground... Gravity plus a safety strap could have made it in 20 mins.

[@WhiteCavendish]

One thing that occurs to me is that you guys might have tried rigging a snatch block on the stuck vehicle and running the winch from the POV jeep to a point high up on a tree on the right side of the frame, that way you get a lifting action as well as a sideways pull, to move the tires up out of the ditch and prevent a danger of rolling over onto the road.

[@rogerdavies6226]

ya gots to wonder how these people get in some of the fixes they do, maybe Jim Beam was driving

[@rogerdavies6226]

Ya gots to wonder, not even going to guess unless this a left over from winter

[@njsongwriter]

Maybe Jack Daniels was driving.

[@mikethompson7406]

Did you read the description? It said he stalled. Have you ever attempted to navigate a vehicle with basically no brakes or steering backwards down a steep hill? I think you should try it sometime in the very near future... good luck.

[@darwinrichardson5823]

@@mikethompson7406 It can be done "but'" slowly and also want use E Brake

[@darwinrichardson5823]

To control desent

[@jessenp20162725]

The Cameron peak fire probably blazed through here?

[@angelc7984]

You should take video of the vehicles up close to show the incident.

[@philbyb2546]

Just a suggestion could you get some one to film it out side of the vehicle

[@cryaboutit1890]

love how theres no questions asked as to how the fuck he ended up like that!! just straight to work!

[@JustinKingOffroad]

lol we had the story ahead of time.

[@BillyTpower]

The he is a she

[@dougbourdo2589]

Years ago a buddy with his new diesel super duty whatever fell asleep, went off road, ended up turtled in a ditch in far northern Michigan. We used 3/4" rope, multipled up, brought it back to tires down. It started and smoked put mosquitos in the area for the next three seasons !!!!! Month old truck totaled by insurance.

[@joerobertson7887]

How do you roll a 4X4 on a flat spot on the trail? Must have had a bad nut behind the wheel.

[@JustinKingOffroad]

it was anything but flat. that is a very steep part of the trail, and the vehicle was in 2wd. after loosing momentum they came back and hit the embankment which flipped the vehicle quite rapidly.

[@billybumpus1]

standing right in front of the winch cable and no winch blanket?? NOT GOOD

[@JustinKingOffroad]

no cable on this winch. just rope. blankets do nothing...

[@billybumpus1]

@@JustinKingOffroad my bad....thought it was cable.

[@JustinKingOffroad]

no worries, but still line dampeners don't do anything but add extra flying mass to a failed rigging. always ALWAYS do the math on the rigging prior to the pull and overengineer the setup so it can't fail.

[@billybumpus1]

@@JustinKingOffroad It is why I watch Ya'lls videos, so I can learn more as well.....never too old to learn LOL

[@evandre02]

Man Man y'all have a really cool job..

[@JustinKingOffroad]

and to think we are volunteers to boot lol!! but yes it is a very fun thing to give back to the offroad community.

[@HighProStrategic]

driving out on its own!!?? Thats impressive

[@pabloescobar1287]

HolyKngt Toyota’s are indestructible

[@bubbapaassens4800]

hey guys ,, great vids , love watching as i used to do same thing here in Australia ,, just one thing but , i cant believe u guys dont use winch dampners ,, i have seen the results of many winch lines snapping , and its not nice at all ,, plz feel free to check out Australian 4x4 action vids on utube ,, keep up the good work peeps

[@JustinKingOffroad]

Hey there! Winch line failures on synthetic rope are a linear failure without much leftover force. The line damper adds un-needed mass to the system which ultimately is more dangerous than not using them. We calc our pulls before anything is done and make sure we stay well within the operational limits of the equipment. We are all trained by an I4WDTA person who is absolutely amazing.

[@robertanderson5796]

Justin King That's all good, but what if something else breaks ( a recovery point a shackle). Safety first in all recoveries. Totally disagree with your reasoning I use dampeners in every recovery. An extra 1 minute fitting one or two could save lives including yours!!

[@JeeperJimbo]

@@robertanderson5796 totally agree and I know I've done personally over a thousand recovery's ! I understand Justin's reasons but I personally don't do it there way ! I train others differently as well ! Bottom line is everyone comes home safe !

[@AudioFreqx]

Perfect practice makes perfect! Dare to care.

[@keithlea6804]

nice job guys.

[@rickharris5485]

I'm thinking the driver put the driver's side tires too far up that berm and it just rolled over. "Hey ya'll, watch this".

[@rodney1818]

It's easy to sit here and say what I would have done but I think I would have ran a strap around the tire on the bottom on both sides and hooked it back to the a arm so you were lifting the tire and the suspension up as you pulled it over in Europe they run strap through both front wheels and both back wheels and pick the whole car up and put it on a flatbed that's what the suspension is made for lifting the car

[@carson4380]

What kind of radio do you have in rig?

[@JustinKingOffroad]

i'm running a kenwood d710a (the new version is the d710g)

[@SpadeCaller]

Do you have to have a Jeep to help?

[@JustinKingOffroad]

Not at all! We have a mix of full size trucks, SUVs, mid size trucks etc.

[@SpadeCaller]

So, how do I get involved??

[@JustinKingOffroad]

check us out at co4x4rnr.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=0&club_id=10369 there is a member signup on that site too.

[@rogerdavies6226]

loop chain thru front tire to a block high on hill to pull and lift front booze and gas dont mix

[@cumulusvapes7]

Yes actually, high test booze and gas, do mix! Otherwise... they couldnt run motors on moonshine!

[@jhitt79]

See what happens when you text and drive?

[@jeffreywrangler2224]

How much do you charge for something like this?

[@JustinKingOffroad]

We do not charge. Though once we get it to a county road or highway the tow truck will.

[@Msherwood5341]

That car is a total loss now right? Or do you cut the roof off?

[@gasser55t]

Cut the roof off and tube it out

[@SegoMan]

"The manual transmission 1995 Toyota 4 runner presumably lost power climbing the last steep section of road before beginning the descent into Pingree Park, and we also presume might have stalled. In the process of stalling of course you lose your brake booster and power steering, so the vehicle rolled backwards uncontrolled, caught the steep bank, and flipped." That's the trouble with a clutch safety start switch - normally putting the thing in reverse then starting it with clutch engaged will save your but!

[@markharvey18]

If she had enough off road driving experience to even try clutching it, she wouldn't have stalled it getting up a 2WD hill.

[@JB-rt4mx]

Use some wire snips and cut off the door chime..LoL 🤠

[@rodney1818]

Now everybody look at this and feel better about your abilities these guys have hours of training and still make rookie mistakes from time to time it's part of Being Human

[@7curiogeo]

This is second recovery video of the team's work. I have 4X4ed 45 years in Colorado have never got in a situation like you have shown. I would say operator error in both vids. Woman driver in this one, explains how this happened.

[@aliassmithandjones9453]

nobody had a chainsaw?

[@JustinKingOffroad]

it was un-necessary to cut down a tree

[@sailingjacobe]

How did he roll there? I drove up that in the snow today in my isuzu.

[@Gizmo42Rodeo]

Yay another Isuzu owner.

[@stormchaser8472]

ill take that yoda that was up the tree

[@barrya.6212]

Toyota tries to wrestle tree.......tree wins...

[@carson2646]

Justin I just found your channel and I’m catching up on some older videos. You sure attract your share of asshole comments lol

[@JustinKingOffroad]

Yep. The really obscene ones are deleted.

[@johnganshow5536]

Proves some people shouldn't be driving on forest roads...

[@JustinKingOffroad]

also proves ordinary everyday people some times just make a mistake.

[@jhitt79]

My 10 year old son could've drove that "trail" in the wife's mini van!

[@rickieedwards8946]

How many people does it take to do a 5min job lol. Please don't ever come help me. I will do it myself.

[@JustinKingOffroad]

i have a feeling you're not the kind to call for help, so no worry...

[@JustinKingOffroad]

another keyboard warrior for for justice lol!

[@jennydiazvigneault5548]

Yes please do it yourself. I would gladly drive past you if I were them.

[@juliejurgensen5423]

Why are you holding your camera while driving. Not very smart. Hands on the wheel. lol

[@JustinKingOffroad]

the gopro is in a mount fixed to the windshield header. i am not holding it while driving.

[@tgrkiller]

@@JustinKingOffroad I think he refers to the last seconds when you turn around the camera to show the Toyota driving behind you.. or did you turn your Windshield ? ;) haha. Was going very slow though so whatever! You're doing a great job.. And was glad to see the Toyota drive off, even if its a write off anyway.

[@jennydiazvigneault5548]

There is always some genius critic Justin.@@JustinKingOffroad

[@jhitt79]

I read the description and still don't understand how you'd roll backwards enough to go up the bank! So the engine died, you'd still have vacuum enough to stop. It's not like that thing is on 44"s. Even with no vacuum the brakes still work, especially if it has rear drums which are self engaging. Also, no e-brake? I thought in Colorado you have to get safety inspections? No?

[@axeman6560]

I do hope you guys are close if I had a problem. You are making a real difference, good job.

[@1701odin]

How the heck do you roll on Old Flowers??

[@rollnryan27]

"one of our members drove it out to the pavement with the owners permission (SHE was on scene)" ..... that ONE word tells you everything that anyone needs to know to answer the question

[@tomchapman6368]

First thing I would have grabbed would be my chain saw and gently lay the tree down. a five minute recovery......

[@JustinKingOffroad]

That's a great concept but not practical with the vehicle laying on it. And in an attempt to keep the usfs happy we opted not to try.

[@lonewolf5094]

Other than the truck falling over and killing you,great idea.

[@harryfp1494]

My friends and I rolled my truck out of a ditch with our hands . 6 guys and a ranger

[@joe1071]

Everything everyone else has mentioned, plus this is probably State or national Park which typically have restrictions on cutting living trees.

[@joe1071]

@@lonewolf5094 future Darwin award winner

[@jburritt426]

Heros of the high roads. Good thing you guys do this.

[@scottcapron1873]

How did he roll it. I am quessing he was day dreaming and drove up the bank to his left?

[@JustinKingOffroad]

Lost power uphill in 2wd and caught the bank rolling back.

[@stevenpope9304]

Great video. You put out some nice ones. It’s clear you guys are a good team and work well together.

[@outsideinoregon]

Wow, it is amazing to watch what you guys can do. Thanks for videoing these.

[@moparman8254]

this is 1 reason i dont like all the computer controlled drive by wire cars u loose the motor u have lost everytging with the older cars if the motor dies u can still steer it & u have brakes they may be hatd but u can still stop

[@TXH1138]

Most of these you can tell how they got into the position they're in, but that one I couldn't figure out how it got there.

[@lostman65]

that morning i rode by on my motorcycle shortly after it had happened. the two ladies that were driving were ok, and said their brakes went out. they also said that help was on the way.

[@PWlangford1]

Good job. 🇨🇦

[@cptsky47]

I think a wrecker could do a much better job be being able to lift the distressed vehicle up and put on the road.

[@mocfunkyy]

thats an offroad trail, a wrecker might have trouble however they do make custom 4x4 off road wreckers but they arent too common

[@jhitt79]

Justin Stone that trail is nothing more than a dirt road.

[@matthewhatton3637]

Boston the video trying to figure out how that Toyota driver got their Toyota in that situation. The hills not even that steep. LOL

[@jburritt426]

I agree. How on earth?

[@davidj4662]

Child driver.

[@greynolds17]

im still trying to figure out how he did that edit: i didnt read description lol

[@JustinKingOffroad]

freak accidents can happen any time!

[@georgewashington938]

from the description, it sounds like it was a she

[@cumulusvapes7]

@@JustinKingOffroad Thats right! So dont be a freak kids!

[@benjohnson3700]

would of been little easier to cut the tree first

[@danburch9989]

I wouild agree with that except for the possible fine. Might be dangerous, too. You're under the Toyota cutting that tree and when it suddenly falls, you might get trapped under the tree or Toyota.

[@charlesstock3323]

good job gentleman a great victory today we thank you for being safe god bless ya all its much appreciated.

[@george2pak]

How much this recovery's cost? To me it cost more than the value of the car .

[@JustinKingOffroad]

there is no charge for our volunteer services.

[@adventureescape1929]

In this situation I would employ the good ol' gas+match recovery technique.

[@robandrews2676]

Old flowers road.. Are you in the Roosevelt national forest? North of ft Collins?

[@JustinKingOffroad]

Yep

[@robandrews2676]

I lived at the sky corral ranch in 97 n 98. It was the last place on old flowers road before you entered the national forest

[@jerrysmith9315]

It looked like a simple recovery.....why so much drama.....turn on the winch.....lets go home ! Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

[@JustinKingOffroad]

i think you're being sarcastic, but if not... that is the kind of blatant recklessness that will get someone killed. this isn't safety third lol.

[@scottwest5013]

Douche

[@jerrysmith9315]

Sorry guys, still too much unneeded action, safety considered.....my opine.

[@marcos22571]

You should fast forward your videos.

[@JustinKingOffroad]

i get about 50/50 comments on letting them roll normal speed or sped up. can't please everyone lol!

[@marcos22571]

@@JustinKingOffroad great videos. Imma subscribe. It's entertaining.

[@UncleFjester]

Its a Jeep thing you wont understand, that Toyota's are bomb proof

[@suavehouse5150]

The lesson here kids don’t go off-roading in a manual lol

[@slurpyman20]

Suave House the lesson is dont drive into the stiks in a yota that is manual cuz......remember yotas marketing slogan “moving forward”......this is moving backwards and not stopping......ever....until it lands upon a tree.........notice how after yotas massive historical recalls.....they pulled the slogan 😂