Wintertime brings with it loads of fun when it comes to off-roading. Our neighbors in the Great White North know this, and are some of the hardiest folks you will ever meet at an off-road gathering.

Sometimes, though, the dangers of navigating a winter wonderland don’t happen out on the trail; they can happen during a drive to or from the weekend getaway. In the case of Ford Raptor Forum member “Jeeper,” such an occurrence was outside of his control and nearly led to disaster.

Jeeper regales us with the context of the event and its lead-up: “I was on my way out hunting last week first thing in the morning, while it was still dark. Ended up sliding off the logging road on ice/slush. [It] came out of nowhere and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was probably only going around [20-25 miles per hour].”

The young man and his passengers were taken for a ride, as the embankment dropped off steeply and the fear levels started to rise. The Raptor rolled twice on its way down and was stopped by a large tree that slammed into the driver door, deploying the side airbags. Fortunately, everyone made it out just fine.

The damage was done, but fortunately not enough was done to warrant the truck’s scrapping. As Jeeper states, “According to my insurance, it will be fixed (approximately $17000 USD). All that’s needed are two new front fenders, front window, two mirrors, and airbags.”

And this all happened despite Jeeper’s claims that he had the Raptor at a low speed, and was using 4-HI, in offroad mode, with the rear axle locked. “None of it made a difference, it just took off on me,” he said. “I feel like the tires [weren’t] the best.”

Jeeper breaks a smile as he awaits rescue. “No use crying over spilt milk,” he said.

Whatever the root cause of the accident was, it seems to be moot at this point, and in any case we’re glad to hear that nobody was injured. Let’s just hope that things go a little better the next time Jeeper and his crew decide to travel down that road!