RED WING, Minn. — Driving on Highway 61 near the bluffs, you have to watch out for curves and falling rocks.
"I'm waiting for that one to go!" said State Patrol officer John Baker, pointing up at the boulder perched precariously between two trees. "Right up where the trees are, the split of the tree -- you can see right on the edge of the bluff."
Thousands of pounds just waiting to fall, soon to share a similar fate as the one already down on Highway 61, blocking the road.
"The ground just becomes soft as we start getting more rain," Baker explained. "And gravity takes places and boulders start falling, trees start falling."
The boulder that's already on the highway made its way down at the right time, missing all the cars on the road. However, Sydney Flack wasn't so lucky on Friday.
"I saw (a boulder) roll down, within a split second, it hit right on my car," Flack said. She said she doesn't even remember the impact.
"I didn't stop, the rock stopped my car completely," she said. She further explained that when she came to, it was clear that her Ford Focus was torn up from the bottom.
"Under it, it looked like it was just a faucet running," Flack said. "It was all liquid coming out from the bottom of it."
Flack said she knows she's lucky.
"Just a bump and bruise, no long-term damage," she said. She added that she is familiar with Highway 61, and there really is no room for distractions on the road.
"Just the biggest thing is be alert and pay as close attention as you can," Flack said.
If you come across a boulder on the highway, Baker said drivers should pull off and call for help right away.
"Call 911, you never know who is coming down the road," Baker said. "You don't want a car to hit it and someone get injured."
Baker said State Patrol and nearby officers from different jurisdictions will respond to block the roads until MnDOT shows up to clear the boulder away from the road.