(Kemmerer, WY) – Eight were injured and one died as a result of a two-vehicle crash near milepost 43 on US-30 west of Kemmerer just after 2 pm on July 14th.
55-year-old West Jordan, Utah resident Wendy Stapel was driving westbound on the highway when she reportedly attempted to pass a semi-tractor trailer and failed to see an oncoming vehicle driven by 39-year-old Richmond, Utah resident Trevor Jackson.
Both Stapel and Jackson tried to avoid a collision by moving onto the roadway’s shoulder but collided head-on, according to Wyoming Highway Patrol.
Stapel was wearing a seatbelt and transported to South Lincoln Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries from the crash. One adult and three juvenile passengers were properly restrained and transported to South Lincoln Medical Center for injuries.
Jackson was wearing a seatbelt and transported by helicopter to the University of Utah for injuries sustained in the crash. Two adult and two juvenile passengers were either flown to the University of Utah or transported by ground ambulance to South Lincoln Medical Center for injuries sustained in the crash.
Driver inattention on the part of Stapel is being investigated as a potential contributing factor, according to WHP.
This is the 51st fatality on Wyoming’s roadways in 2021 compared to 53 in 2020, 92 in 2019, and 54 in 2018 to date.