The Bull Valley Gorge Accident

Sometime in the mid-50s, my mother's uncle and other relatives were supposedly out poaching deer and honky tonking in a fairly new Chevy pickup in Southern Utah, near Bryce Canyon (Bull Valley). Nobody knows what exactly happened, but the truck rolled backward into a deep ravine, smashing the cab and ejecting two of the three passengers - killing all three. The truck is still stuck in there and peeks straight upward, with the new chrome shining. Locals still don't like to talk about it much and even tried covering it up with sticks and brush. Thought I'd share. I'd still like to drop down on a rope and rummage through the cab.

 

Wow!

 

Crazy!

 

Damn, that's gnarly. I don't like the idea of poking around on it, especially if someone is still in there. That's a burial site, let them rest.

 

Wow is right.
I assume, (door being open) they got the "remains" out.
And in a other 100 years there will be some sort of tour group going through
and there will be some crazy, made up story about how it got there.
Ha! And even what it is!

 

That is crazy!

 

Accident happened in October of '54, supposedly. They took the last body out the following Spring. Eery.

 

Wow! What a story! I'm with you, I'd love to rummage through the cab and see what's there, especially if it were part of my family history. I'm assuming any bodies were recovered at the time?

 

Just a word of advice..........Don't Honky-tonk and Drive.

 

I personally would not have tried to drive up that ravine, but they almost made it to the top..........

 

Especially near 100 foot ravines.

 

those fenders look to be in good shape...

 

Incredible. It might be possible to recover that wreck and as a descendent, potential owner by heirship, it would be a nice thing to rebuild the truck as a memorial to those who died there.

 

I agree. I have a feeling I'd get outvoted on it though.

Being less than 5 or so years old, be fun to see the engine condition and such. Might be able to do some deeper forensics as well.

 

That's crazy that they just left it there. And especially that they didn't get the last body out for so long

 

I agree, rent a crane and recover the wreckage.

 

looks like someone already went down and stole the hubcaps.

 

I'd leave it alone. Why risk becoming number 4 of the family to die because of it? You'd have to cut it out in pieces to remove it anyway. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

That's crazy.

Looks like it might be wedged pretty tight, and near impossible to pull out.

Rich

 

Run it by the family. Some things happen for a reason. And some things are best left undisturbed.

 

More info....

http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2013/03/bull-valley-slot-canyon-and-truck-wreck.html


From googling, the truck was a 54 chevy, and it happened in 54.

The rocks above it were placed there before the accident, and act as a bridge.

Strange story.

Rich

 

grill remains do not look like a 54. sucks to have a tragic accident happen but its amazing that its still there I say it should stay where it rests.

 

I imagine the guy at the passenger door wasn't ejected. The driver's door looks like it opened on impact.

Can you imagine surviving the first oh, shit moment only to be flung out for a second one?

 

I'd say that it's one of those things you leave right where it is and call it good. It was no doubt considered far too dangerous to attempt to recover it when it first went in the ravine years ago. And far too expensive and still dangerous now. It's more like those little memorials that people set up on the side of the road where their love ones were killed in accident than something you would want to attempt to recover at this time.

 

If it was a 32 it would already be gone.

 

Pretty wild story indeed.

---John

 

Yes, grill remains look earlier. Good observation.

 

What a cool story. I love things like this


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