WYOMING — Around 9:07 a.m. on the morning of March 5, a Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) snowplow was removing snow from the roadway near milepost 125 on Interstate 80 when it was hit by a commercial vehicle.
According to WYDOT, the commercial truck driver was trying to pass another car in the left lane and collided with the back of the snowplow, causing both vehicles to enter the median. The snowplow driver was transported to Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County with minor injuries from the crash.
The commercial truck driver was issued a citation for speeding too fast for the conditions and careless driving.
According to WYDOT, this collision marks the 22nd of its kind so far this winter. That number nears previous annual records and surpasses last year’s report of 18 collisions.
| Year | Number of plows struck |
|---|---|
| 2019/2020 | 23 |
| 2020/2021 | 26 |
| 2021/2022 | 18 |
| 2022/2023 | 22 (as of March 7) |
WYDOT asks travelers to never pass a plow truck while it’s plowing snow. The safest driving surface is at least four car lengths behind the plow.
“The Wyoming Highway Patrol and WYDOT want to remind drivers to slow down, increase their following distance and use extreme caution when driving on snow-covered roadways, especially when passing snowplows.”
