On October 14, 2020, a fatal crash occurred around milepost 221 on Interstate 80 east of Rawlins, Wyoming. At 6:33 a.m., Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers were notified of a motor vehicle collision.
The driver of a 2006 Toyota Corolla entered the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80, traveling the wrong direction. As the Toyota driver drove westbound in the eastbound lanes, a collision occurred with a 2018 Dodge Ram 5500 pulling a trailer.
The driver of the Toyota has been identified as 60-year-old Jerome, Idaho resident Richard L. Shook. Shook was wearing a seatbelt and succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the crash.
The driver of the Dodge has been identified as 61-year-old Eaton, Colorado resident Donald R. Patterson. Patterson was wearing a seatbelt and was not injured in the crash.
Driver inattention is being investigated on the part of Shook as a possible contributing factor.
This is the 105th fatality on Wyoming’s roadways in 2020 compared to 128 in 2019, 93 in 2018, and 113 in 2017 to date.