Highway of Death Stories

Numerous people around the world give the name of Highway of Death to roads that seem to be plagued with accidents or disaster. Some of the roads are considerably old and primitive roads that don't count with enough safety (i.e. guard rails) to protect the vehicles; other roads are simply in the wrong spot. It seems to be that the Highway of Death stories are a lot more common in other countries. Some of the most notorious highways are in Bolivia, Mexico and Russia. Two of them are just poorly-built, and the other one is victim of drug lord criminals.

Football Player Perished on U.S. 287

The state of Wyoming was extremely sad when they lost football player Ruben Narcisse. He was a student at the University of Wyoming and an outstanding football player. He happened to be out one night with fellow team members. They were taking U.S. Route 287, which stretches through the following states:

  • Colorado
  • Montana
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Wyoming

This now-Highway of Death was first built in 1939, and it used to run only from Yellowstone to Denver. A few years later, the road was extended to connect with a Canadian road that led to the Alaskan Highway. Recently, the authorities have been looking to expand certain sections of the highway, in order to avoid more accidents in the future. Statistics show that the area that crosses Wyoming happens to see more accidents each year, and they are fatal most of the time. A total of 22 people have lost their lives in the last ten years, or so.

British Biker Dies in Bolivia

Reading through the sad Highway of Death stories, you will find the one about Tom Austin. He was a British student, who was traveling the world with two friends and his girlfriend. They had spent some time in Canada, then drove through the U.S., and eventually made their way to South America. The group decided to take a guided tour through one of the deadliest roads in the world: Bolivia's Highway of Death, or Yungas Road. Only two minutes into the ride, a large SUV tried passing Austin but they blew a tire, making the vehicle lose control and hitting him. Both the biker and the vehicle fell off the road into the abyss. Austin fell 300 feet and died instantly.

Stuck in Russian Mud

One of the most incredible Highway of Death story is the Russian Highway by the name of Lena. The road stretches from Moscow all the way to Yakutsk, running for 600 miles. However, a trip that would take just about 8 hours (considering you traveled at 70 mph) can take you literally several days. While the death toll is considerably low, the accident statistics are skyrocketing. During the summer, the temperature rises and the road virtually melts, causing mayhem on the road. On one occasion, a vehicle was swallowed by the abundant mud, with an infant inside. Luckily, the family and friends were able to save the infant from dying.

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