Numbers don’t lie, and motorcycle-crash numbers from northwest Wyoming are of increasing concern to the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
On Thursday, a motorcyclist died on U.S. 212, the Beartooth Highway. It’s the seventh motorcycle accident on the Beartooth Highway and Wyoming Highway 296, or Chief Joseph Scenic Highway, this year.
“That doesn’t sound like a lot of paper, but it’s tied for the worst year on record for (U.S.) 212 and 296,” said Aaron Brown, Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) spokesman. “We have seven crashes (on the two highways) in 2004. We’re already at seven in 2026, and they've all happened in July."
But that isn’t the total number of reported crashes between the two highways this year. Brown said WHP troopers have colloquially told him of several other incidents that other agencies in Wyoming and Montana responded to this summer.
“Anecdotally, my troopers are saying they're seeing as many as 18 crashes so far this year,” he said. “If that is true, that's more than the number of motorcycle crashes on 212 between 2021 and 2025 combined.”
Navigating Reports
There still isn’t much information on what happened to the motorcyclist who died on the Beartooth Highway Thursday.
The crash occurred near mile marker 21 on U.S. 212, between the Top of the World Store and the Island Lake Campground. Multiple agencies responded, including the WHP, First Flight of Wyoming, and Red Lodge Fire Rescue.
The official investigation is ongoing, but Brown said preliminary reports indicate there were only two likely causes: a medical emergency or operator inattention.
“The fatality we had yesterday wasn't even on a hairpin curve,” he said. “It was a very soft curve in a very beautiful area. The only things that make sense are either a medical situation or distraction, but we're still waiting for the official report.”
Curves Ahead
According to Brown, WHP troopers have interviewed several people who were injured in motorcycle accidents on 212 and 296. Many of them have shared similar narratives of what led to their crashes.
“When troopers have spoken to the riders, a lot of accidents occurred when they were coming around one of those tight hairpin turns,” he said. “A lot of times they were following that white line on the outside, called the fog line.”
As motorcyclists followed the fog line and came to a tight curve, they were going too fast for a safe turn, Brown said. As they attempted to navigate the turn, they overcorrected and, with little to no shoulder, drove off the road.
That scenario explains a majority of motorcycle crashes on 212 and 296, but it doesn’t account for what happened to the victim of Thursday’s accident.
For Brown, a contributing factor to these accidents isn’t the road, it’s the landscape.
A View To Not Die For
The Beartooth and Chief Joseph Scenic highways are among the most spectacular mountain highways in the United States. They’re renowned for their vistas, which would turn anyone’s head.
Motorcyclists can turn their heads more than most, which could easily be part of the problem, Brown said.
“When you're on a motorcycle or bike, the only limit on what you can see is how far you can turn your head. It's easy to get distracted if something catches your eye, like a hawk, other wildlife, or just the view.”
Just like the tight turns, many motorcyclists might not anticipate the sheer beauty of their surroundings. That would mean they’re also unprepared for the other hazards they could encounter.
“Things can happen on 212 and 296 that you won’t be ready for if you don’t anticipate them,” Brown said. “That's going to be weather. That's going to be wildlife popping out of nowhere. Another thing our troopers are learning from post-crash interviews is that it’s easy to get distracted up there.”
That’s true for any vehicle on 216 and 296, but it’s especially dangerous for motorcycles following the fog line with no buffer between them, the side of the highway, and anything in front of them.
“There's already such a small margin for error on a motorcycle to begin with, and that margin’s even smaller on those roads,” Brown said.
Sturgis Surge
One of the biggest annual events in the western U.S. could make the accident total even higher.
The 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally starts Aug. 7 in South Dakota. Thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts will be traveling there from across the country and often take a detour across the Beartooth and Chief Joseph highways on their route.
Brown said WHP troopers aren’t worried about or anticipating an increase in serious or fatal motorcycle accidents before and after Sturgis, but they hope everyone will be aware of the motorcyclists cruising through Wyoming. There was a notable increase in motorcycle accidents and deaths around Sturgis last year.
“We're going to see a lot more coming through, going to and coming from Sturgis, all over the state,” he said. “Just because they come up Cheyenne, going up U.S. 85 to the Black Hills, doesn’t mean they won’t take a detour to see the beautiful Beartooth Highway.”
While 212 and 296 might be more prone to motorcycle accidents, Brown wanted to remind all drivers that Wyoming is a beautiful state.
“It can happen anywhere in Wyoming,” he said. “If they’re heading to Sturgis, they’ll be in the Black Hills. Devils Tower is right there. Medicine Bow National Forest is a popular route. All kinds of things you can see and get distracted by.”
Be Prepared And Aware
We won’t know the extent of Wyoming’s 2026 road and highway accidents until 2027. That’s when all the incident reports from across the state will be compiled and analyzed.
From what he’s heard from WHP troopers, Brown is already anticipating more motorcycle accidents across Wyoming. On the same day as the fatal incident on the Beartooth Highway, another motorcycle fatality was reported in Casper.
According to the Casper Police Department, a single-vehicle motorcycle crash occurred near the intersection of King Boulevard and West 13th Street on Thursday morning. The driver, a 20-year-old Casper resident, died from the injuries.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Brown and WHP troopers will be keeping a wary eye on the Beartooth and Chief Joseph highways. At least two months of good weather remain, and thousands of motorcycles could cruise through.
“We want our drivers, both visiting and local, to be aware of the increase in riders. Look twice, save a life,” Brown said.
According to Brown, the best way to avoid accidents is to think and act before burning rubber. Preventative actions, coupled with extra attention on the road, can go a long way during a long drive.
“It comes down to personal choice,” he said. “Paying attention, buckling up, wearing a helmet, ignoring or getting rid of distractions, and focusing on the road are choices. Only you can make them.”
Brown had a specific message for anyone planning to travel along U.S. 212 and WY 296, especially if they’ll be on a motorcycle.
“If you’re going to do the Beartooth or Chief Joseph, ride within your skills and slow down,” he said. “It’s not a place you want to be crashing out on.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
