WYOMING – With highway fatalities piling up way too fast in Wyoming to start 2019, it is refreshing to be able to report a story they ended without a death.
Wyoming Highway Patrol passed along the following account in order to emphasize the importance of wearing seatbelts.
Around 6:40am on February 5, Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched to a collision involving four vehicles. The collision took place near milepost 334 on Interstate 80.
A 2004 Ford Expedition was headed west on I-80 when the driver lost control on the slick roadway. The Expedition left the roadway and entered the median at an estimated speed of 65 mph.
Meanwhile, three full-sized pickup trucks were eastbound in the same area in the right-hand lane. The Expedition exited the median and entered the eastbound lanes colliding head-on with a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado. The Expedition continued west striking a 2015 GMC 2500 before coming to a stop in the median.
A driver of an eastbound 2017 Ford F-150 was unable to stop in time and collided with the GMC as it entered the ditch.
While most of the vehicles were either destroyed or severely damaged in the crash, the occupants walked away with minor injuries. Seatbelts and airbags played a large role in the survival of all occupants.
The roadways were slick with snow and ice from an early morning storm. The variable speed limits were lowered due to the hazardous road conditions. Speed too fast for conditions is being investigated as contributing factors.
The WHP would like to remind motorists using a seatbelt is the easiest step you can take to ensure a better chance of surviving a serious motor vehicle collision. Seatbelts can help prevent drivers and passengers from being ejected during a crash and have saved thousands of lives each year.
