A Pleasant View woman escaped serious injury Monday after her pickup veered across the center line of Highway 491 and struck an oncoming semitrailer, the State Patrol said.
A Colorado State Patrol spokesperson said Audrey McClain, of Pleasant View, was driving southbound when her Ford Ranger hit the side of the semi after she swerved to avoid hitting an animal.
She was cited for careless driving.
The accident occurred close to Mile Marker 32, near Lewis, about 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 24.
McClain and a passenger suffered only minor injuries, including scrapes, bruises and a bloody nose, officials said.
“I saw the Ford,” David Delozier posted on the Cortez Journal’s Facebook page. “I was sure someone was critically injured or worse.”
The semitrailer, from El Paso, Texas, was not carrying hazardous material, officials said.
According to dispatch reports updated by emergency crews on the scene, both lanes of traffic were closed for nearly an hour. Dispatch recorded an “all clear” call for motorists by 1 p.m.