DENVER (KDVR) — Several people abandoned their vehicles on freeway off-ramps, as crews could not keep them constantly plowed during Sunday’s intense storm.
Glen Hostetler said he and his family were stuck in his Nissan Pathfinder for more than 10 hours on the roadway that leads from the E-470 freeway to Westbound Interstate 70 before someone in a Jeep rescued his family.
“I just need to know that somebody knows I’m here, and at some point, they’ll be checking on us,” said Hostetler who told the Problem Solvers he contacted multiple agencies, including the City of Aurora, Adams County, Colorado State Patrol, and tow truck companies for help.
“Aurora sent me to Adams County,” said Hostetler, who said his family got stuck around 12:45 p.m. “Adams County said, ‘that’s not our responsibility.’”
Who is responsible for plowing and rescuing?
The Problem Solvers contacted the City of Aurora, and a city spokesperson said its dispatchers did not find out about Hostetler’s predicament several hours after his vehicle was stuck.
“We did not receive the original call for him – it was placed appropriately with CSP in his first and original call,” said Ryan Luby, the deputy director of communications for the City of Aurora. “Aurora 911 began our dialogue with him just before 9 p.m., and ultimately created a call for service to ensure he received help due to the extended length of time he had been stranded.”
Luby said CSP has jurisdiction in that area to assist stranded motorists.
Hostetler was rescued by the Jeep driver prior anyone from Aurora arriving on the scene.
Adams County
According to an Adams County spokesperson, Christa Bruning, “Our crews do not maintain ramps, frontage roads or network streets in this area for snow removal or search and rescue dispatch.
“Regarding the call from the motorist, the Adams County Public Works team does not staff a public line during storm events. “All calls with our team are routed through the ADCOM service. The team was correct in their assessment that we were not the appropriate agency to facilitate aide in this area,” she said.
E-470
Maureen Walker, a spokesperson for the E-470 freeway, said the ramp where Hostetler was stuck is part of E-470’s responsibility to plow.
She said crews plowed that particular ramp three times on Sunday and twice by midday Monday.
Colorado Department of Transportation
The Colorado Department of Transportation agreed ramp where Hostetler’s car was stranded was E-470’s responsibility for plowing but said ramps that lead from CDOT roadways to E-470 are maintained by CDOT.
“If it’s an off-ramp, meaning the traffic is coming off E-470 onto a CDOT highway, E-470 is responsible. If it’s an on-ramp to E-470, meaning traffic is coming from a CDOT highway and getting on E-470, it’s CDOT’s responsibility” said Presley Fowler, a spokesperson for CDOT. “As far as other ramps go, usually all mainline on and off-ramps are CDOT’s unless we have a maintenance IGA with a local entity which in some cases we do. When we plow, we usually make two passes on the main travel lanes and then the on and off-ramps will be plowed on the third pass. That is in order to keep the primary travel lanes cleared during intense weather.”
Roadside Assistance
Walker said people who are stuck on E-470 freeways or ramps should call the Roadside Assistance team at 303-537-3400 for help. “They can provide assistance with contacting a tow (if needed) or additional help depending on the need.”
Hostetler told the Problem Solvers he contacted the roadside assistance number, but he said he was told they were coordinating with Colorado State Patrol and the National Guard on Sunday night because the conditions were so poor and there were so many stranded drivers.
Colorado State Patrol
“Troopers are able to work and assist in any area of the state, but we do rely upon assistance from local police and sheriff’s departments to assist us as well,” said Sgt. Black White, a spokesperson for CDP. “One of the problems that we faced during the recent snowstorm was that we just couldn’t get to many stranded motorists. It took plows and front end loaders hours to clear small stretches of roadway for our vehicles to be able to reach some motorists.”
Hostetler was able to recover his car by shoveling the snow that surrounded it on Monday afternoon with the help of friends, a motorist who pulled over and a FOX31 photographer.