Grand Junction Rallies for Man Hurt in Rare I-70 Crash With Horse

Imagine driving down I-70 in Western Colorado in the middle of the night. Morning has yet to break when a horse suddenly wanders onto the freeway and into the path of some eastbound vehicles.

The crash that followed resulted in an hours-long closure of I-70 near Fruita, a rolled SUV, a struck animal that died, and a driver with life-threatening injuries. While crashes involving large animals are rare in Mesa County, the consequences can be severe. Keep scrolling to find out how many in our community are reaching out to help the victims, and how you can too.

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What Happened on I‑70 Near Fruita

Read More: From Orchards to Epic MTB: Fruita, Colorado's Trail Network

Getting into a highway speed crash involving a large animal in the middle of the night must be terrifying. According to LocalAccidentReports.com, the crash took place around 1:40 a.m. on Sunday. The Colorado State Patrol responded to a two-vehicle crash involving a horse near milepost 22. A Toyota Land Cruiser and a Ford F-250 struck the animal. The Land Cruiser rolled over, seriously injuring the driver. The driver of the F-250 was uninjured, while the driver of the Land Cruiser was taken to the hospital.

Who Was Injured & Animal Collision Risks

The injured driver in the Land Cruiser turned out to be a well-known Grand Junction resident, Kyle Freud. Kyle is a popular member of the Western Slope off-road community known as PlaidWagon (@_plaidwagon_ on Instagram). He is known for sharing builds among Land Cruiser owners and for documenting trail adventures with his friends and family. Freud’s family has shared that he has no memory of the crash due to trauma.

Community Response & GoFundMe Support

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In the few days since the accident, Western Colorado has responded to the GoFundMe set up for Kyle Freud, with over $19,000 donated. Freud’s page was set up to raise $100K. Following the wreck, friends, off-road enthusiasts, and members of the community have pitched in to help with medical bills, the cost of surgery, and funds for Kyle’s wife and children to use while he is away from work. I want to thank everyone who has helped this family so far and shown how closely-knit Western Colorado communities are when we face hardship.