U.S. 14-A, one of Wyoming’s vital transportation corridors, was closed Tuesday after a harrowing accident that sent a semi-truck careening off the highway.
The incident occurred around 22 miles east of Lovell, between the Five Springs Campground and the Big Horn-Sheridan county line, around 2:30 a.m. According to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the driver was in the westbound lane toward Lovell when they entered a curve at a speed exceeding 35 miles per hour.
The driver then overcorrected, rolled to the passenger side, slid on the jersey barrier, and over the edge of the hillside barrier.
Amazingly, the driver was able to escape and only sustained minor injuries. The semi-truck was left precariously dangling over the edge of the barrier.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol and Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office spent most of Tuesday working with heavy machinery to clear U.S. 14-A, hoping to have it open to traffic between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
No additional details on what caused the incident have been released, and the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office and Wyoming Highway Patrol could not provide additional information despite repeated requests on Tuesday before publication.
A semi driver is alive and well after his truck careened off U.S. Highway 14-A in northern Wyoming. Somehow the semi managed to hang on and remains dangling perilously over a cliff. (Big Horn Sheriff's Office)
A Hazardous Highway
WYDOT spokesperson Cody Beers said the effort to haul the semi-truck back onto the road would require a lot of time and intense machinery.
“They’re going to need the wreckers,” he said. “Big machines will go up there to pull this truck back up over the edge and then clean up any issues we've got on the roadway. It’s going to be a day-long effort.”
In Beers’ experience, people underestimate U.S. 14-A. The mountainous pass between Lovell and Burgess Junction can be enough to test even the most experienced drivers’ skills.
“This is becoming a bigger deal,” he said. “The problem that we've got is that people still think that they can drive over the mountain when they don't have a lot of experience over the mountain.”
Beers referenced an incident over the weekend where a motorhome caught fire after coming down the highway. No one was hurt, but the Lovell Volunteer Fire Department had to be called in to put out the flames.
“The driver was riding the brakes, and they had a massive fire,” he said. “You’ve got to be on top of your game to be hauling over that mountain. It’s got some pretty drastic grades – that’s why we close it in winter.”
On-Time Delivery Disasters
Looking at photos from the scene of the incident, Beers wouldn’t be surprised if the semi-truck’s driver was experienced and was more than capable of handling the drastic grades and hazards of U.S. 14-A.
Unfortunately, incidents like these are often the result of overzealous decisions and impossible timetables.
“A lot of trucks running over that mountain are on-time delivery trucks,” he said. “On-time delivery trucks are more inclined to go over that mountain because they're trying to get to and from their destinations as quickly as they can.”
When a driver is on a deadline, U.S. 14-A might look more attractive than the alternatives. That doesn't make it so.
Driving U.S. 14 from Greybull to Burgess Junction or following U.S. 16 and I-90 around the Bighorns via Billings, Montana, are longer routes that will take more time, but they’re easier routes for drivers of all stripes.
The stretch of U.S. 14-A outside Lovell is more hazardous and could take just as much time to navigate safely, especially with a large load.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol said driver inexperience and speed are being investigated as contributing factors to the incident.
Beers believes more on-time delivery drivers are choosing the U.S. 14-A because it appears to be the shorter, simpler route, but the incident on Tuesday was a vivid demonstration of how flawed that thinking can be.
Beers believes more on-time delivery drivers are choosing the U.S. 14-A because it appears to be the shorter, simpler route. The incident on Tuesday was a vivid demonstration of how flawed that thinking can be.
“We encourage people to use a lot of common sense when they’re driving U.S. 14-A,” he said. “It’s unforgiving.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
