A 21-year-old Colorado man was killed Tuesday after a skiing accident in which he attempted to jump over a three-lane highway near Berthoud Pass, the Grand County Sheriff’s office reported. Around 3:00 p.m. MDT, 911 services received a call reporting the incident along Highway 40 near mile marker 241.5, west of Berthoud Pass Summit. The call reported that a bystander had begun issuing CPR to the man, who was unconscious and not responsive.
Emergency services arrived on scene around 3:43 p.m. and confirmed the skier had died. The Grand County Coroner’s office later identified the man as Dallas LeBeau of Gilpin County, 9 News reported.
“The preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was attempting to perform a high-risk skiing stunt by trying to clear the width of Highway 40 and unfortunately lacked the necessary speed and distance and subsequently landed on the highway pavement,” the Sheriff’s office reported. “The victim had been wearing a helmet and other protective gear.”
The area where LeBeau was skiing is a popular backcountry skiing spot and is a highly trafficked section of U.S. 40.
“We have thousands of people every weekend in the winter who are recreating up in the area and all across the county,” Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin told GearJunkie. “We’re all aware that the backcountry has its own inherent risk, regardless of the time of season. We just ask people to be careful and to watch out for themselves and each other.”
Schroetlkin said this is a very trying time for the family and friends of LeBeau and the community he grew up in.
A Heartbroken Community
LeBeau’s Instagram account shows several videos of the skier throwing backflips off of jumps and hitting terrain park features. Earlier this year, he competed in the Freeride World Tour qualifiers.
After news of his death, an outpouring of emotion spread across social media.
“I grew up with this kid man. This is so… horrible. That kid was so gnarly on skis, biggest inspiration,” Reddit user Trixxter_RD commented.
“This is very real. Dallas was a great kid and a friend of my two kids who attended school with him. He was really a happy kid and always smiling just on the verge of laughter,” said Reddit user Otherwise_Award_4284.
“Rest in peace buddy. We love you,” commented andal_innins on Instagram.
Dallas LeBeau: GoFundMe Campaign
A man claiming to LeBeau’s longtime friend, Devin Shirk, created a GoFundMe campaign in the wake of the accident to help offset funeral costs and other expenses.
“Dallas was a close friend of mine since before preschool,” Shirk wrote in the GoFundMe description. “He was one of the most joyful and kind people you could ever meet. He was always raising good spirits and loved to ski ever since he was 2.”
The campaign has already raised $43,355 — over double the initial goal of $20,000. You can still donate on the GoFundMe campaign page.
