Small plane hits sign; crashes near Vail Pass

VAIL, Colo. – A single-engine plane clipped a highway sign and skidded along Interstate 70 near Vail Pass before crashing into nearby trees Friday.

The pilot and passenger, both from Green River, Wyo., were injured but survived, authorities said.

Vail town spokeswoman Suzanne Silverthorn said the two men had decided to fly past Copper Mountain to take pictures. They clipped a highway sign, sending the plane skidding on the highway, she said.

No injuries were reported on the ground, but one lane of the main east-west interstate through the mountains was closed. At one point, traffic was backed up for two miles.

The pilot, Brooks Johnson, 43, fractured his back in the crash. His friend, John Clark, 52, was able to walk away from the crash with minor injuries.