Wyoming Highway Patrol Identifies Person Killed in I-80 Pileup

The Wyoming Highway Patrol has identified the person killed in January's massive pileup on Interstate 80.

The 31-vehicle crash happened around 1:41 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, near mile marker 266 in Carbon County, about a mile west of the Wagonhound Rest Area.

Wyoming Highway Patrol

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Another pileup occurred near mile marker 261 around the same time.

"A total of 44 vehicles collided between the two separate crashes," the patrol said in a Jan. 28 Facebook post. "There have been injuries reported with these crashes and one confirmed fatality."

On Thursday, March 2, the patrol released a fatality crash summary identifying the person killed as 44-year-old Florida resident Turnier Piterson.

According to the summary, the truck driver was not wearing his seat belt and was found dead under the passenger side trailer axles of his rig.

Wyoming Highway Patrol via Facebook

Thirty-two people walked away from the 31-vehicle pileup uninjured.

The summary says it was snowing and blowing and the interstate was covered in ice and snow at the time.

Wyoming Highway Patrol via Facebook

Speed is listed as a possible contributing factor.

The investigation is ongoing.

Of the 29 people killed on Wyoming's highways so far this year, 10, or 34.48%, have died in crashes on I-80.

2022's Deadliest Wyoming County by Traffic Deaths

While car crashes can occur anywhere, some roads in Wyoming are more dangerous than others.

According to Wyoming Highway Patrol data, there were 117 fatal crashes in the Cowboy State in 2022 resulting in 133 deaths.

Of those fatal crashes, the majority (13.68%) occurred in Laramie County -- two in January, one in February, one in March, two in April, one in June, two in July, three in August, two in September, one in November, and one in December.

Sweetwater County saw the second most fatal crashes last year, 12, while Fremont and Lincoln counties each saw 10.

Albany and Park counties each recorded eight, and Campbell, Converse, and Natrona counties each tallied seven.

The deadliest 2022 crash in Laramie County took place on June 17 when two semis collided on Interstate 80 east of Cheyenne and immediately became engulfed in flames killing both drivers and a passenger.

Laramie County also saw two fatal crashes involving motorcyclists, two fatal crashes involving juveniles, and a fatal crash involving a pedestrian last year.

Below is the Wyoming Highway Patrol narrative of every fatal crash that occurred in Laramie County in 2022.

Categories: Cheyenne News, News, Wyoming News