Wyoming Man Thrown From Vehicle, Dies Following Crash
A 21-year-old Wyoming man is dead following a rollover crash near Gillette on Thursday.
Cody Sams was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from his vehicle, according to a crash report from the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred shortly before 6:30 p.m. Thursday on Highway 51 near milepost 130, when Sams tried to reportedly tried to pass a Campbell County Fire Department rescue truck at a high rate of speed.
While passing the truck headed eastbound, Sams saw westbound traffic, so he swerved back into the eastbound lane. However, he over-steered to the right causing the Suburban to slide sideways.
The Suburban then left the highway to the right, sliding for about 25 yards before it started to roll.
Sams was thrown from the Suburban and landed within a barbed wire fence, unresponsive, as the Suburban continued to roll. The vehicle ended up some 137 yards south of the highway.
The rescue truck immediately stopped and gave first aid to Sams, who was taken by ambulance to Campbell County Memorial Hospital. He later died.
At the time Sams tried to pass the rescue truck, the crew was not responding to a call. The rescue truck was traveling at 55 mph.
The driver of the rescue truck witnessed the entire event, and told the Patrol that the Suburban was traveling at a high rate of speed when passing.
Weather was clear and the roadway was dry at the time of the crash. Speed is listed as a contributing factor.