Colorado authorities search for ski biker who injured two skiers in crash at Keystone
The Summit County Sheriff's Office is searching for an unidentified male after a collision at Keystone Ski Resort on Tuesday left one person with critical injuries. Investigators said the collision happened at the bottom of the Bergman Bowl near the intersection of Blackjack ski trail and the Prospector ski trail between 12:30 and 12:45 p.m. Jan. 2.
The collision involved an unidentified male on a ski bike and a father and daughter visiting from California. According to investigators, the father and daughter were exiting the Blackjack run when the ski biker descended from behind and collided with the daughter, causing her to fall to the ground. She suffered injuries in the fall.
The same male on the ski bike then collided with the father who was just ahead of the daughter. The daughter was treated for her injuries and released.
The father suffered serious bodily injuries and was in critical condition as of Wednesday at a Denver-area hospital.
The Summit County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident as a criminal case. They don't have a physical description of the male on the ski bike. Any witnesses are asked to come forward with information about the incident, the male or the ski bike, and contact the Summit County 911 Center at 970-668-8600.
The Bergman Express opened to riders on Dec. 30, 2023 and takes them to the Bergman Bowl and also one of the highest green trails TenMile.
Additional Information from the Summit County Sheriff's Office:
The Summit County Sheriff's Office would like to remind everyone to always practice safe snow activity habits and to be aware of the risks associated with these activities. The Colorado Skier Safety Act is designed to protect all skiers and riders on the slopes. The Your Responsibility Code consists of ten key tenets of enjoying the safest possible day on the slopes.
Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons stated, "This catastrophic collision, resulting in devastating injuries, evolved into a criminal event once the unidentified person fled the scene without identifying himself or seeking aid. The law specifically states that no skier involved in a collision with another skier or person in which an injury results shall leave the vicinity of the collision before giving his or her name and current address to an employee of the ski area operator or a member of the ski patrol, except for the purpose of securing aid for a person injured in the collision; in which event the person so leaving the scene of the collision shall give his or her name and current address after securing such aid. Neither of which occurred in this instance."
