A 41-year-old man suffered a head injury when the off-highway vehicle (OHV) he was riding overturned and pinned him beneath the machine.  Brian Blacker, his wife, and their two young sons were on an excursion near the Mary Murphy mine about four and a half miles from St. Elmo when the accident occurred around 1:30pm Tuesday. 

Blacker and his wife, Gertrude Jackson, 39, were each driving an OHV.  Blacker’s eleven-year-old son, Brandon Blacker, was riding behind his father on the lead machine.  They were followed by Ms. Jackson driving the second OHV with her eleven-year-old son, Derek Marshal, riding behind her.  At some point Mr. Blacker had Brandon dismount as Mr. Blacker attempted to back the machine after encountering a snow field blocking the road.   As he was backing the OHV, it struck a large rock which caused it to flip over backwards, pinning Blacker beneath the machine and causing him to strike his head on a rock.

Ms. Jackson and the two boys were able to lift the OHV off Blacker who had been rendered unconscious by the blow to his head.  Blood flowed from his nose, ears, and mouth and Ms. Jackson turned his head to the side to assist his breathing.  Ms. Jackson sent Brandon running down the road to seek assistance as she and the other boy remained with Blacker who shortly afterwards regained consciousness and was able to sit up.

Within a few minutes Brandon encountered a group of several men and women attending training in wildfire fighting.  Half the group returned with Brandon to the accident, while others went to St. Elmo to summon assistance. 

Responding to the scene shortly afterward were members of the county’s search and rescue teams, EMS, Chaffee County Fire, and Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office.  Mr. Blacker was stabilized at the accident scene and then transported by EMS vehicle to St. Elmo where a Flight for Life helicopter was waiting.  He was flown to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood for treatment.

The Blacker family was visiting Chaffee County from their home in Yuma, Colorado.