Like something out of the Wild West, a horse-drawn stagecoach went out of control, careened into a ditch and ejected its occupants Saturday evening in Mancos, seriously injuring one man and wounding several other persons.

Owner and driver of the stagecoach Dennis Bartels, 58, sustained several broken bones and was airlifted from the scene in Webber Canyon to Southwest Memorial Hospital, according to Montezuma County Sheriff’s Detective Lt. Kalvin Boggs.

"Apparently he wasn’t doing too well so they needed to get him to the hospital quickly," Boggs said. "They didn’t want to wait for the ambulance ride because they were pretty far from civilization down there."

Four others — Amy Zwiener, 31; Adam Zwiener, 4; Aly Zwiener, 8; and Alex Zwiener, 10, all of Hesperus — were transported by ambulance to Southwest, where they were treated for minor injuries and released the same evening.

Mancos Valley Stage Line is a tourist-oriented attraction that provides stagecoach rides in Webber Canyon as well as chuckwagon dinners.

A total of 12 people were in the four-horse-drawn stagecoach 3 1/2 miles south of 4550 Road 41 just after 5 p.m. Saturday when the horse on the rear left lost the bit from its mouth.

"Mr. Bartels got the coach stopped for a brief moment, but the horse that lost the bit became agitated and all four horses took off, running quickly southbound down the road," Boggs said.

"After about 100 yards, the stagecoach’s left wheel went off into the ditch on the east side of the road and ripped the wheels off the axle. It didn’t turn the stagecoach all the way over, but it tilted it on its side and pretty well launched everybody."

Several of the passengers were thrown out and others fell on top of each other inside the stagecoach, he said.

None of the horses was injured, Boggs said.

Boggs said the wreck was unusual and there is not a standard accident report form to use because the stagecoach is not classified as a motor vehicle.

"It’s just an accident," Boggs said. "There’s no sort of ticket to issue."

Gladis Davis with Mancos Valley Stage Line said the business is continuing to take stagecoach rides, although Bartels remains in the hospital.

"He went into surgery yesterday," Davis said of Bartels. "He’s doing as well as can be expected right now."