(Wyoming) – It’s no secret that Wyoming winters are treacherous for travelers. Semi-truck drivers from across the country are vastly aware how bad Rocky Mountain travel can become.
National research from the Jason Stone Injury Lawyers group examined motor vehicle crash data to reveal the number of fatal crashes involving a large truck.
According to this metric, the most dangerous county for truck drivers is Reeves County, Texas. A total of 69 fatal crashes were reported between 2017 and 2021 with 39 involving large trucks. Reeves County includes a stretch of I-20, I-10 and Highway 285 between small towns Pecos, Toyah and Verhalen.
Wyoming’s Sweetwater County is close behind. According to the study, “Sweetwater County in Wyoming ranks second, with 24 deadly crashes involving a large truck out of a total of 54 fatal motor crashes between 2017 and 2021, which equates to a rate of 44.4%. Wyoming’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (2022) outlined the state’s response to vehicle crashes, including focusing patrol and law enforcement in identified ‘high risk’ areas.”
More details about the full study can be found here.
Rank County State No. of fatal crashes involving a large truck No. of total fatal crashes Percentage of crashes involving a large truck 1. Reeves Texas 39 69 56.5% 2. Sweetwater Wyoming 24 54 44.4% 3. Lea New Mexico 37 84 44.1% 4. Howard Texas 24 84 43.6% 5. Fayette Texas 22 52 42.3% 6. Cibola New Mexico 26 63 41.3% 7. Midland Texas 66 182 36.3%