Interstate 80 Closed For 21 Miles After More Weather-Related Crashes On Wednesday

Two multi-vehicle crashes closed a 21-mile stretch of Interstate 80 between Evanston and Lyman on Wednesday afternoon.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) closed the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-80 due to “winter conditions and crashes” at 3:28 p.m., according to a statement. 

Accidents involving multiple semitrailers were reported in both lanes, and state highway officials could not estimate what time the interstate may reopen.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol urged people to “avoid the area” and “slow down for first responders” in the vicinity. Uinta County Fire and Ambulance reported EMS crews from Evanston and Bridger Valley responded to the pileups with five ambulances. 

It was not known as of publication time how many people may have been hurt in the crashes, or how severely.

Bridger Valley resident Amber Gossard was heading west when she got stuck between two separate pileups, describing the crash ahead of her as “six or seven semis in a pile.” 

She also saw at least two smaller vehicles that were involved, as evidenced by the damage they sustained.

“There were two other vehicles that were damaged,” she said. “I don’t know anything about them or any of the semi drivers, but I’m sure that they’re fine.”

Gossard was told it would be “a couple of hours” before they’d clear the road, but she wasn’t optimistic about that estimate.

“I had a WHP trooper tell me it was going to be at least eight hours,” she said. “A trucker in front of me thought it was going to be 10 hours, at least. This isn’t going to be fun.”

Whiteouts And Crunches

Gossard said visibility was already low when she got on I-80 around 3 p.m. The speed limit was 65 mph, but she was taking it slow and keeping her distance from other vehicles.

“It was just a whiteout,” she said. “We’d keep going, the roads cleared up a little bit, and then here comes this other whiteout. You just hold on and go a little bit slower.”

A fortunate break in the whiteouts gave Gossard a glimpse of what lay ahead. She could see several vehicles stopped and debris across the highway.

Recognizing she was approaching a significant multi-vehicle incident, Gossard said she attempted to slow down and pull over. The semi behind her didn’t want to stop.

“I went ahead and jumped on the right-hand side for an escape route, but the truck motioned for me to go, go, go,” she said. “I was going to stop, but he was following me, so I kept going.”

That’s when Gossard heard a “crunch” behind her. Another semitruck had crashed into the back of the one that had been following her.

“I hurried to the righthand side and went around on the snow that was there,” she said. “That's how I was able to maneuver out of this mess. I don't know how far it goes back or how many more vehicles behind me crunched into each other.”

From where she stopped, Gossard could see another incident involving at least one semitruck in the eastbound lane. 

That’s when she realized she was sandwiched between two separate crashes on the westbound lane, and the eastbound lane was likely closed.

“I stopped around 3:05 p.m.,” she said. “The accident in front of me must have just happened when I got there.”

Two Days Of Traffic Accidents

This is the second day of winter weather-related multi-vehicle incidents on I-80. 

On Tuesday, WHP troopers and first responders from multiple agencies responded to “two large crashes and four smaller ones” on the westbound lane near Arlington.

“One of the larger crashes involved 16 vehicles, and the other involved seven,” said Aaron Brown, spokesman for the Wyoming Highway Patrol. “The four smaller crashes all involved two vehicles. In all, there were 40 vehicles involved.”

Brown confirmed that three people were transported to local hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained in their accidents.

“Thankfully, all injuries were reported as minor conditions,” he said.

The contributing factors to the incidents were still being investigated, but Brown believed the major factors were icy roads and whiteout conditions that afternoon.

“These incidents serve as a reminder about winter driving in Wyoming,” he said. “We've had an incredibly temperate, warm, dry winter, but it's still Wyoming, so make sure you're never driving faster than conditions allow, and be prepared for that sudden change in weather, especially visibility.”

Brown reminded Wyomingites that one of the best things they can do to ensure their safety is to download the Wyoming 511 app. That will provide them with instantaneous information on accidents, closures, and other hazards they might encounter during their travels.

“Wyoming’s a big state,” he said. “If you're going to be traveling across the state, it’s really important to pay attention to road conditions on your route. Anytime you think things are going to be just fine, Wyoming tends to surprise you.”

That’s Wyoming

With two significant incidents in front of and behind Gossard, and guardrails on either side of the westbound lanes, there was nowhere to turn off. She had nowhere to go and nothing to do but wait for the accidents to be cleared.

“We’re stuck,” she said. “We can’t go anywhere, so we’re going to be here for a while.”

WYDOT recommends Wyoming drivers have a small stock of supplies, including food, water, blankets, and warm clothing if they get stuck on a highway during a winter weather closure. Fortunately, Gossard had everything she needed to wait it out.

“You don't ever travel without your winter gear,” she said. “It’s Wyoming.”

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.