GRAND COUNTY, CO – A daring ski stunt turned fatal for a young Colorado man on Tuesday, as he attempted to jump over a highway. The young man, Dallas LeBeau, aged 21, failed to generate enough speed to cross the 40-foot-wide Highway 40 in Grand County, and fatally impacted the asphalt.
According to Devon Shirk, LeBeau’s childhood friend, the young man had a spirit for thrilling feats and was born on the same day as legendary stunt performer, Evel Knievel. LeBeau encountered the tragic incident in an area renowned for backcountry skiing, inherent with its own set of risks as pointed out by Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin.
Despite the immediate attention and cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts of a Good Samaritan on the scene, LeBeau was reported unconscious and not breathing when emergency services arrived.
Sharing the deeply regrettable news, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office stated that although LeBeau was equipped with a helmet and other protective gear, the safeguards were insufficient to protect him from the severe impact of the crash.
Devon Shirk, who grew up with LeBeau and shared tales of LeBeau’s affinity for skiing since the age of two, has initiated a GoFundMe campaign to aid the grieving family in this hard time.