Wyoming officials are investigating brake failure as the likely cause of an RV rollover crash on Teton Pass in Wyoming that killed a 72-year-old Nevada woman Wednesday.
The RV did not explode, but the burst of debris from its half roll could have given bystanders the impression that it did, Wyoming Highway Patrol Lt. Matt Bracken told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.
The RV was traveling eastbound down Teton Pass just ahead of Wilson, Wyoming, pulling a Ford F-150 at about 3:53 p.m. Wednesday. Traffic was sluggish. The male driver told investigators he had to use his brakes frequently, Bracken said, adding that the RV had an air brake system.
When the driver tried to pass other vehicles, his brakes failed altogether and the vehicle started to run away from him. The driver tried to pull off the road into the flats along the shoulder, and the RV rotated 90 degrees clockwise in the softer terrain, then rolled over a half time onto its roof, Bracken said.
“Most RVs are fairly flimsy and not designed for full rollover events,” said Bracken. “The vehicle came apart.”
The large debris field that resulted is typical of RVs and campers involved in rollover crashes, he added.
Of five vehicle occupants, four were injured and one was killed. The WHP fatality map identifies the deceased as 72-year-old Kathleen Savko of Nevada. She was sitting on a couch in the RV, Bracken said.
The four who were injured were alert and conscious. A couple have been treated and released. Others may stay in the hospital overnight or longer, said Bracken.
The RV’s owners were from Idaho. All five vehicle occupants are family members who were on their way to Jackson from Nevada, with a Jackson hotel reservation for Wednesday night, Bracken said.
The speed limit in the crash area is 45 mph. Bracken said he did not know how fast the RV was going before it lost its brake function.
“Lot of variables, with no brakes and excessive speed coming down the hill and corners — trying to do something to slow down but there wasn’t much to do at that point, unfortunately,” said Bracken.
Not Up On The Mountain
The crash happened near the base of Teton Pass, near the Heidelberg bed and breakfast in Wilson.
WHP Trooper Mike Merritt said a new rebuild of the pass, completed June 28 to correct a June 8 terrain collapse did not factor into the crash.
The crash site precedes a quarter-mile straight stretch headed into the trees of Wilson, and is usually the spot for a “last-ditch effort to slow down before you go into Wilson, Merritt added.
Contact Clair McFarland at clair@cowboystatedaily.com
An RV on its way to Jackson, Wyoming, rolled over on Teton Pass on Wednesay, Aug. 14, 2024, killing on person and injuring four others inside. (Courtesy Mark Gocke) 
An RV on its way to Jackson, Wyoming, rolled over on Teton Pass on Wednesay, Aug. 14, 2024, killing on person and injuring four others inside. (Courtesy Mark Gocke)
