Letter to the Editor: Interstate 80 Should Have Been Closed

I dont care if it was the responsibility of the Sheriff's Department or Wyoming State Police. That stretch of highway should have been shut down. I was watching idiot truck drivers and other stupid people driving like the weather was a perfect sunshiny day.

March 07, 20203 min read

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(Cowboy State Daily Staff)

Dear Mr. Sniffin;

First off I’d like to thank for your coverage of the tragic accident that took place on I-80, March 1, 2020. 

My name is John Conti. I’m originally from Western NY, but now live in Reno NV. I was one of the many people in the middle of that twisted metal. Thank goodness I did not hit anyone or anything. 

I have great concern of matters that lead up to that tragic day. I am still thinking about what happened, almost obsessed, and that’s why I’m reaching out to you. I have never seen such display of selfish, self centered people all in one place in my life. 

I am an experienced driver on snow covered roads. But what I witnessed was nothing short of stupidity on whomever  had the responsibility of shutting down the Interstate. 

I don’t care if it was the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Department or Wyoming State Police. That stretch of highway should have been shut down. I was watching idiot truck drivers and other stupid people driving like the weather was a perfect sunshiny day. 

All I wanted to do was get off the next exit and wait for the weather to improve. I was driving at 40 mph and watching trucks and more trucks and cars and SUV’s pass me like I was standing still. 

I was telling my partner who was sitting next to me, that these people are nuts! To come up to this seen has made me literally sick. I was trying to send an email to either the Sheriff himself or the Captain of Wyoming Highway Patrol, but cannot find an email. 

This is a poor excuse of these law enforcement agencies. They have no business being in command! 

How dare they allow this display of their authority to go to the wayside is beyond my anatomy. These agencies are around when they’re not needed but when they are needed to do their job they’re are no where to be found. This is disgusting!

In NY where weather changes quickly, the NY State Police will and have shut down the highways. And why would they shut down the interstate you may ask? For public safety!

As far as I am concerned charges should be brought to whoever was in charge to shut the roads down. Someone needs to be held accountable.  There should have been police presence in that area at the very least. 

I don’t care to hear excuses or that there were police in that area. I was there myself, and I can certainly testify that; “there was no police around”! 

I hope these “men” ask God to forgive them for the deaths of these people. And that God will show mercy to them, because they certainly did not show any compassion for the deaths of these people, or the people that got hurt. 

These people were someone’s mother, father, wife, husband, brother, sister, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, grandparent…….someone’s friend. I know I for one, as well as my employees will no longer drive thru this stretch of highway in the state of Wyoming. 

Thank you Sir and I do hope you in the very least will read my email. Hopefully I can get past this so I can have some peace in my mind and heart.

                                Sincerely

                                John Conti