Skier, 21, killed in ‘high-risk’ stunt leaping 40 feet over Colorado highway: ‘Inherent risk’
A 21-year-old daredevil skier was killed attempting what authorities described as a “high-risk” jump across a Colorado highway.
Dallas LeBeau was found “unconscious and not breathing” Tuesday afternoon after trying — and failing — to leap 40 feet over Highway 40 in Grand County.
“He wanted to do things that nobody else had done. He always said his birthday was the same day as Evil Knievel,” LeBeau’s childhood friend Devin Shirk told FOX31, referring to the legendary stunt performer famous for his dozens of attempted motorcycle jumps.
The local 911 dispatch center got a call around 3 p.m. Tuesday reporting LeBeau’s accident. A good Samaritan had started CPR on the skier until help arrived.
By the time first responders got to the scene, LeBeau had died from his injuries.
“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,” according to a statement from the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.
LeBeau was wearing a helmet and other protective gear at the time of the ill-fated jump, but the safety measures apparently failed to shield him from the intensity of the impact.
“It is Colorado’s backcountry and the backcountry has inherent risk. Yesterday was one of those risks,” Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin told CBS Colorado.
Shirk, who had been friends with LeBeau from the time they were toddlers, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help his family, writing in the description that the 21-year-old had been skiing from the age of 2.
“Dallas was one of the most joyful and kind people you could ever meet,” Shirk said.
