The Carbon County Coroner has identified the woman killed Saturday in a commercial truck crash outside Rawlins.
Mary Couch, 70, of Lineville, Alabama, died of blunt force trauma in Saturday’s crash on Interstate-80, Carbon County Coroner Brittany Nyman told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the man accused of causing the deadly crash, 47-year-old Borys Bakhtiarov, was released from jail Tuesday when a $20,000 cash-only bond was posted, according to his court file.
Cowboy State Daily was unable to reach Bakhtiarov by publication time.
He’s charged with one count of homicide by vehicle, which is punishable by up to one year in jail and $2,000 in fines. He pleaded not guilty Monday in Rawlins Circuit Court to that charge, and to a citation alleging he didn’t stay in his lane.
Bakhtiarov did not speak English, the Wyoming Highway Patrol said, and his court file showed that a language interpreter was at the hearing.
WHP noted that snowy and icy roads are being considered as possible contributing factors.
On Saturday, a white Freightliner truck crossed from the westbound lane on Interstate 80 near milepost 215, through a guardrail and a cable barrier and crashed into a red Freightliner truck driving down the eastbound lane, according to the case evidentiary affidavit by Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Tim Howell.
Couch was the co-driver in the red truck. She was in the sleeper cab at the time, Nyman confirmed.
The affidavit says the red Freightliner truck’s driver was severely injured.
A man who says he's Couch's son reached out to Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday, to say his family was devastated at the news.
Charles Kelly said his 11-year-old daughter got to know her grandmother three years ago and started building a relationship with her by talk and text.
"My mother was always the first to post remarks and congratulate her granddaughter on every dance competition and constantly told her how beautiful she is and loves seeing her dance," wrote Kelly in a Tuesday email. "This meant everything to our daughter to have her grandmother in her life and so supportive in everything she did. My child as well as the rest of my family is destroyed by this careless unnecessary act that has forever changed our family."
Couch had planned to retire in the coming months to spend more time with her kids and grandkids, he added. Kelly voiced frustration with the misdemeanor charge's potential one-year penalty.
‘Lost Control’
The collision blocked both eastbound lanes and caused traffic to back up, says a statement the Wyoming Highway Patrol released Wednesday.
The investigation revealed that Bakhtiarov, who drives for VJR Express, lost control of his combination while driving westbound on snowy and icy roads, the statement says. His combination spun out, travelled across the cable barrier and hit “an eastbound combination.” What is a combination?? If it’s truck and trailer – say that instead.
The other vehicle, a tractor owned by Transco Lines, Inc and hauling double trailers, sustained extensive damage, the statement says.
The driver, James Byars, 63, and Couch were both trapped in the tractor and suffered injuries. Byars was taken to Carbon County Memorial Hospital via ground ambulance. Troopers attempted CPR on Couch, but she died on scene, wrote WHP.
The double trailers suffered a massive breach, scattering their contents across the interstate.
The interstate was closed for about seven-and-a-half hours, the statement says, adding that Bakhtiarov’s truck took out approximately 100-120 feet of guardrail, 300 feet of cable barrier, and 22 cable barrier posts.
Troopers arrested Bakhtiarov for misdemeanor homicide by vehicle and failing to maintain a single lane of travel. Troopers also completed post-crash commercial vehicle inspections.
Mary Couch, 70, of Alabama, was identified as the victim in Saturday’s I-80 crash outside Rawlins on Saturday. The driver accused of killing Couch was released from jail on a $20,000 cash bond. (Courtesy Lori Good Freytag) 
Mary Couch, 70, of Alabama, was identified as the victim in Saturday’s I-80 crash outside Rawlins on Saturday. The driver accused of killing Couch was released from jail on a $20,000 cash bond. (Courtesy Lori Good Freytag)
‘Mess’
Lori Good Freytag didn’t see the crash, but she arrived on scene just afterward and took photos of the wreckage, she told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday.
Freytag said she lives outside Rawlins. She stayed on scene long enough to take photographs but left soon after, she said.
“It was a mess,” Freytag added.
The roads were bad; the weather consisted of snow and wind, and it seemed vehicles generally had been driving too fast for the conditions that day, she added.
“Something needs to be done different with this interstate,” said Freytag. “Way too many wrecks, way too many deaths.”
Freytag said authorities routed traffic through Rawlins after the crash.
Truckers Together
One of Couch’s loved ones released a public Facebook post Tuesday, saying the trucking pair were a couple.
“My (brother) and his wife were truckers and have spent the last 20 years together mostly on the road,” wrote Facebook user Heather Anne. “Saturday the unthinkable happened and they were in a devastating accident.”
Couch “always had a big smile and (greeted) you with a big hug,” says the post. “She was a kind soul and her unexpected passing is extremely hard to process.”
The Facebook user did not respond by publication time to a message requesting additional comment.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
