Bronco Sport

Make
Ford
Segment
SUV

Having earned a rare Top Safety Pick Plus award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety during crash testing, the Ford Bronco Sport is one of the safest small SUVs on sale today. The SUV's high safety standards were put to the ultimate test recently when a Bronco Sport was involved in a serious accident in Colorado.

According to the Durango Herald, a 23-year old woman was driving the Bronco Sport on the notoriously treacherous Black Bear Pass road. After realizing she had entered the one-way Black Bear Pass the wrong way, the woman and her passenger decided to turn around. This was a very bad decision.

The passenger got out to help the woman turn the Bronco Sport around. While backing up, two of the Bronco Sport's wheels went too high on an embankment, causing the SUV to roll. As it tumbled down the mountain, the Bronco Sport plummeted approximately 400 feet, ejecting the driver and a dog.

Despite the severity of the scary crash, the 23-year-old miraculously survived albeit with serious injuries. The dog was also treated for minor injuries by a vet. Though not confirmed, an initial investigation suggests the driver was not wearing a seatbelt.

As you can see in photos from the crash site, the mangled Bronco Sport is a total wreck and damaged beyond recognition. Even the engine was ejected from the SUV during the brutal crash.

If you're thinking of tackling the dangerous Black Bear Pass road, the San Miguel County Sheriff has some advice: "Black Bear Pass is an extremely dangerous road and should only be driven by experienced off-road drivers in appropriate off-road vehicles," the San Miguel County Sheriff wrote on Facebook. "Legally, a 16 year-old who got his driver's license a few hours prior, may attempt to drive the pass in his grandmother's 1980's sedan. That doesn't mean it's safe to do so."