A traffic incident involving two semi-trucks in Uinta County resulted in one truck being consumed in a fire early Friday morning.
Both semi-trucks were traveling westbound near mile marker 30 when the crash occurred. When Bridger Valley Fire and EMS responded to the scene, one of the trailers was already engulfed in flames, and two people required medical attention.
“The first semi, which was in front, slowed down to exit,” said Aaron Brown, spokesperson for the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP). “The second semi was going interstate speeds and didn't catch that in time, tried to veer away, clipped the side of the trailer of the first semi, and veered into the median.”
Soon after the second semi-truck stopped in the median, both the truck and the median were consumed by flames. The source of the fire is under investigation.
Firefighters with Bridger Valley Fire were able to extinguish the blaze, but Brown said the vehicle “burned to the ground.”
The two injured people were transported to Evanston Regional Hospital. Fortunately, Brown said their injuries were “minor.”
“There were no major injuries associated with this incident,” he said.
Bridger Valley Fire was not available to provide additional details by the time of publication.
Pay Attention, Don't Follow
According to Brown, the driver of the second semi-truck was issued a citation for following too close. The primary cause of the incident was driver inattention.
“He was not going too fast, so speed wasn't really a factor,” he said. “He was cited for following too close, and that’s a result of inattention.”
There have been plenty of weather-related incidents on I-80 in the last month. Between March 12 and 15, there were several multi-vehicle incidents, resulting in three fatalities, caused by hurricane-force winds and “flash freezes.”
Now that the weather’s getting warmer, people might feel safer on Wyoming’s highways. Brown believes that can lead to overconfidence, especially after dark.
“It’s easier to relax during a drive in nicer weather,” he said. “That's the wrong attitude. You want to make sure you're paying attention, keeping your eyes on the road and the traffic around you, ahead of you, and behind you.”
Brown emphasized that the cited semi-driver was traveling at legal highway speeds, which is why they weren’t cited for excessive speed. This was the result of the driver not being aware of traffic and overcorrecting to avoid an accident but ultimately being unable to do so.
“This is a cautionary tale,” Brown said. “We’ve said it before - buckle up, phones down, don’t follow too close, and pay attention to what’s around you on the highway.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
