Update 6 p.m.: Interstate 80 has reopened after the eastbound lanes had been closed at Rawlins most of Saturday. This story has been updated with the latest information available.
Update 5:30 p.m.: The Wyoming Department of Transportation has lifted most of the closure notices for eastbound I-80, but the highway remains closed between Rawlins and exit 235 at Walcott Junction.
Also, part of the reason for the closure is for fire crews to put out grass fires started by the crash. This story has been updated to reflect the latest information available.
Update 3:10 p.m.: The Wyoming Highway Patrol confirms one person died when two semitrailers collided Saturday morning and one became engulfed in flames. This story has been updated to reflect the latest information available.
Eastbound Interstate 80 at Rawlins has reopened after being closed for more eight hours Saturday after a fiery and fatal crash involving two semitrailers. The crash backed up traffic for miles and kept a host of University of Wyoming football fans from the team’s home opener.
Not much information about the crash has been available, but what has been reported is that it happened about 9:30 a.m. Saturday at about milepost 223 and had the interstate’s eastbound lanes under a rolling closure from exit 111 west of Rawlins and a full closure through exit 235 at Walcott Junction for most of the day, the Wyoming Department of Transportation reports.
As of 6 p.m., the last of the closures had been dropped and eastbound I-80 was open again.
Along with cleaning up the wreckage, the highway closure was extended because crews were also working to put out grass fires along the interstate caused by the crash, the Wyoming Department of Transportation reports.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash, which killed an occupant of one of the trucks, WHP Trooper Jason Simmer told Cowboy State Daily.
After they collided, one of the commercial vehicles "was engulfed by fire," according to a WHP report.
"Crews are working diligently to reopen the roadway; however, due to the heavy damage to the vechicles, it's taking time to remove them safely from the highway," the WHP report said.
That information corroborates what another WHP officer told Cody Lane at the Stinker I-80 Travel Plaza near Sinclair, where many of the stranded drivers waited for the highway to reopen.
“The Highway Patrol said there was at least one fatality, and that was all he was authorized to give out,” said Lane, an attendant at the truck stop.
A call to the Carbon County Coroner’s Office for more information about the crash fatality wasn’t returned.
Hurry Up And Wait
Lane said he’s used I-80 being closed for one reason or another, but it’s usually during winter for weather-related reasons.
“Honestly, we’re not too busy right now,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “Mostly the travelers come in and ask if there’s another way around. The last time the Highway Patrol was in here he said it’s going to be another three hours.”
He said travelers have reported various details about what they observed driving past the crash scene, but much of it is conflicting.
For example, Lane said he’s been told the crash may involve two semis, while another motorist said it looked like a semi had hit a smaller parked car.
“We don’t really know. We just know there was a big-old fire,” Lane said, adding he climbed on top of the truck stop to get a better view. “There was a big-old bunch of black smoke.”
Those who stuck around around and waited for the highway to reopen got a little hungry as the time passed, Lane said.
“They’re buying mostly snacks, like Cheez-Its, meat sticks, Gatorade and other snacky stuff,” he said.
Many of those waiting were UW Cowboys fans, he said, who had to listen to the game on the radio or try to stream a broadcast. The Cowboys lost 17-13 to the University of Idaho.
“Most of the travelers, yes, they say they were on the way to the game,” he said.
Others reported being stuck for hours in the bumper-to-bumper wall of semitrucks and other vehicles, posting their experiences to the popular Wyoming Road and Weather Conditions Reports Updates Facebook page.
"My kids have been stuck out there for over six hours," posted Robin Britt-Layton. "Thankfully they don't have the babies with them."
One of those who couldn't get to the UW game was Lauri Shoopman, who posted that, "We tried getting to Ft. Steele every which way, didn't happen. We just came home instead of traveling to the game."
"I'm so glad I'm not stuck there anymore," added Kellie Whitzel. "Two and a half hours was long enough."
Jennifer Nelsen of Green River showed her relief when she posted "Finally!!!!" after waiting for hours for traffic to start moving.
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
