An excursion to Cabrillo National Monument quickly became a tumultuous downhill drama when two elderly men found their pickup truck careening roughly 500 feet down a shrub-thickened ravine Monday, leaving the vehicle’s driver in critical condition. The accident, which occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. near the park’s entrance on Cabrillo Memorial Drive, was triggered when the 91-year-old driver of a 2003 Chevy pickup mistakenly hit the gas instead of the brakes while the pair was parking, according to Maurice Luque, spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. The misstep caused the truck to jump a curb and mow down a light post and tree before plunging down the rugged canyon wall, according to witnesses. Luque said the truck plummeted downhill through thick vegetation for at least 200 feet before hitting a dropoff, overturning and sliding the remainder of the way down the ravine on its top before coming to rest. The driver, identified as Harry Reed of San Diego, suffered a spinal fracture in the crash, according to medical reports. The passenger, identified as John Little, 77, of San Diego, reportedly was able to climb from the truck with only cuts and bruises, while Reed remained trapped and unconscious inside the vehicle. Rescuers hiked down to the crash scene and smashed the windshield to free Reed, who was airlifted from the scene to UCSD Medical Center. Little was carried to safety on a pulley-guided stretcher and was taken to UCSD Medical Center, according to Luque. Little was released from the hospital Tuesday. He said both men were wearing seatbelts. “The seatbelts saved their lives,” said Luque. “Even Mr. Little has said that he wouldn’t be here if he had not been wearing a seatbelt. He said, ‘I’m lucky to be alive.’” The crash caused National Park Service officials to close Cabrillo Monument for several hours.