AND HE'S GONE AND DIDN'T NEED TO HAPPEN. >> A LOCAL WOMAN IS HEARTBROKEN AFTER HER HUSBAND DIES IN A SNOWBOARDING ACCIDENT IN MOUNTAIN HIGH. THANKS AGAIN FOR JOINING US HERE ON ABC SEVEN, HULU, AND WHEREVER YOU STREAM, I'M DAVID ONO. >> I'M ELLEN LEYVA. THE WIDOW SAYS HER HUSBAND CRASHED INTO A LIFT TOWER THAT HAD VERY LITTLE PADDING. >> INLAND EMPIRE BUREAU CHIEF ROB MCMILLAN HAS MORE DETAILS, INCLUDING MOUNTAIN HIGH'S RESPONSE IN THIS HEARTBREAKING STORY. >> HE WAS AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN ON EARTH, NOT JUST BECAUSE HE WAS MY HUSBAND, BUT HE WAS A SHINING LIGHT. SHIRLEY VITALE IS DEVASTATED AFTER HER HUSBAND, JOEL, WAS KILLED AND A SNOWBOARDING ACCIDENT AT MOUNTAIN HIGH. THAT WAS HIS PASSION AND HE WAS SO GOOD AT IT. AND HE IT WAS HIS HAPPY PLACE. >> THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED LAST WEDNESDAY AROUND 1045 IN THE MORNING. HIS FRIEND SEBASTIAN GONZALEZ WAS THERE WHEN JOEL LOST CONTROL AND SMASHED INTO A LIFT TOWER. LIKE THIS ONE. >> I DON'T KNOW, LIKE HE LOSE CONTROL OR SOMETHING AND HE ENDED UP HITTING THE POLE. >> WITHIN MINUTES, THE SKI PATROL WAS RUSHING HIM TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN WHERE HE WOULD BE MET BY FIRST RESPONDERS FROM THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT. ABOUT HALF AN HOUR LATER, THOUGH, HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD. >> WE'RE LIKE, JUST CRYING AND SCREAMING LIKE WE COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT. >> DID YOU EVER WORRY IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD COST HIM HIS LIFE? NO I MEAN, YOU WORRY. >> DON'T BREAK A LEG. DON'T FALL AND DISLOCATE THE SHOULDER. YOU DON'T WORRY ABOUT HITTING A POLE THAT WASN'T COVERED AND DYING. >> SHE'S REFERRING TO THE YELLOW PADDING ATTACHED TO THE BASE OF THE LIFT TOWERS. PADDING, SHE SAYS, CAN BE INADEQUATE. >> IT'S A LITTLE YELLOW THING, AND IF THE SNOW IS HIGH ENOUGH, THERE'S NOTHING. >> IN RESPONSE TO OUR REQUEST FOR COMMENT, MOUNTAIN HIGH DID NOT PROVIDE A STATEMENT, BUT A SPOKESMAN DID CONFIRM THAT THE TOWER THAT VITANGELO HIT DID HAVE PROTECTIVE PADDING ON IT. HOWEVER, THE FAMILY CONTENDS THAT EVEN IF IT DID, THAT PADDING WAS LIKELY BURIED UNDER ALL THE RECENT SNOW. THEY SHARED A PICTURE WITH US SHOWING AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE YELLOW PADDING ON A DIFFERENT TOWER PRACTICALLY BURIED. >> THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE REALLY DEEP, AND THE PAD WAS LIKE COVERED MOSTLY IN SNOW, BUT COULD GITANJALI HAVE JUST BEEN GOING TOO FAST? >> ACCORDING TO MOUNTAIN HIGH'S RESPONSIBILITY CODE POSTED ON THEIR WEBSITE, THE NUMBER ONE ITEM ON THE LIST IS TO ALWAYS STAY IN CONTROL. MY HUSBAND HAD A FAMILY. >> HE AND MY DAUGHTERS AND HE'S GONE. AND THIS DIDN'T