A crash on Feb. 16 has resulted in the death of 31-year-old Shane Copeland of Sublette County. The crash involved two vehicles, a Ford F-550 pickup truck and a Wyoming Department of Transportation 2014 Mack plow truck.
The crash occurred around 3:30 a.m. at milepost 151 on US Highway 89 a quarter of a mile south of the town of Jackson. The WYDOT plow was traveling southbound around 25 mph on US 89 conducting plowing operations when the F-550 traveled northbound into the southbound lane. The plow operator made an evasive turn trying to avoid the pickup truck, but the two vehicles collided.
A second WYDOT vehicle had just left the WYDOT yard moments before and was traveling northbound on US 89 and witnessed the collision. Fire and EMS personnel responded to extricate the driver of the F-550. Despite their best efforts, Copeland succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The driver of the WYDOT plow was wearing their seatbelt and suffered minor injuries, and was treated at the scene and released. US 89 in both directions near the crash was closed for two hours while troopers conducted an investigation and cleaned up the wreckage.
Driver fatigue is being investigated as a contributing factor to the crash.