On January 31, 2020, a fatal crash occurred around milepost 69 on Wyoming 59 south of Wright, Wyoming. Around 8:52 a.m., Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched to the area for a motor vehicle collision.
A 2017 Dodge Ram was headed south on Wyoming 59 when the driver lost control of the vehicle on an ice-covered roadway. The Dodge entered the northbound lane and collided with a northbound 2018 Kenworth commercial truck.
The driver of the Dodge has been identified as 46-year-old Casper, Wyoming resident Peter P. Godwin. Godwin was wearing his seatbelt and succumbed to injuries at the scene of the crash.
The driver of the Kenworth has been identified as 33-year-old Gillette, Wyoming resident Zach Manning. Manning was wearing his seatbelt and transported to the Campbell County Hospital for injuries sustained in the crash.
Speed and equipment failure on the part of Godwin is being investigated as possible contributing factors.
This is the 4th fatality on Wyoming’s roadways in 2020 compared to 14 in 2019, 6 in 2018, and 6 in 2017 to date.