Snowboarders face $168,000 bill for causing Colorado avalanche that blocked a 400-ft stretch of an Interstate under 20ft of snow
Snowboarders face a $168,000 bill for causing a Colorado avalanche that buried a 400-foot stretch of road under 20ft of snow.
Evan Hannibal, 26, and Tyler DeWitt, 38, have been charged with reckless endangerment after they caused a massive slab of snow to break off and fall down the mountain.
The avalanche buried a service road just above the Eisenhower tunnel which is mostly used by state transportation workers.
Evan Hannibal, 26, and Tyler DeWitt, 38, have been charged with reckless endangerment after they skied down a path causing a massive slab of snow to break off and fall down the mountain
The avalanche buried a service road just above the Eisenhower tunnel mostly used by state transportation workers
Footage taken on a GoPro camera shows the two friends deciding to continue down the path despite commenting that it was an area of concern.
Hannibal and DeWitt argued that there should have been clear signs stating that there was a risk of an avalanche.
The pair would normally face up to six months in the county jail and a $750 fine.
However, because the snow buried a 400-foot stretch of road and destroyed a $120,000 piece of avalanche control equipment called an O'Bellx unit, prosecutors want the snowboarders to reimburse the state an eye-watering $168,000.
'It's an outrageous sum of money,' DeWitt told KDVR-TV.
The duo pleaded not guilty at their first court appearance on September 28, and are due back in court at the end of October.
Footage taken on a GoPro camera captured the dramatic incident. Authorities reportedly brought charges against the snowboarders after reviewing the footage
Footage taken during the incident shows the snowboarders, who were traversing above 12,000 feet, proceeding down the path despite noticing there were risks involved.
The dramatic moment was captured on film, with Hannibal shouting 'avalanche!' and DeWitt resonding: ''Dude, we just buried the road.'
DeWitt can be heard saying, 'If we see a cop car show up, you know we're ,' Hannibal replies, 'I think we're either way.'
Authorities reportedly brought charges against the snowboarders after reviewing the footage.
Hannibal and DeWitt say they provided the GoPro footage to authorities willingly, not realizing that it would backfire on them.
Evan Hannibal, 26, and Tyler DeWitt, 38, have been charged with reckless endangerment
They also claim they acted professionally by alerting the sheriff and Colorado avalanche center immediately, informing them of the incident and telling them no one had been injured.
'That saved the state money, but then it also put us in the spotlight, which is not necessarily what we wanted,' DeWitt said.
Fifth Judicial District Attorney Bruce Brown believes it is the duo's responsibility to reimburse the state for the damages incurred.
'They recognized that there was a risk but they went down that chute anyway,' he said.
'With an interstate that has a 100,000 cars going across it every week, it could've been a disaster.'
He added that the public 'has a bill that needs to be paid'.
The duo's next court appearance is scheduled for October 27.