A multi-vehicle accident between Cody and Yellowstone National Park involving multiple motorcycles has resulted in serious injuries and possibly two fatalities.
At 9:38 a.m., the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) closed all lanes on U.S. Highway 14/16/20 near Wapiti due to the crash. First responders were rushing to the scene, which an eyewitness says involved multiple people who appeared to be seriously injured.
According to exchanges on the Park County Public Safety-WyoLink radio scanner, first responders had received “a report of two fatalities.”
The Wyoming Highway Patrol confirmed that multiple troopers were responding at the same time, asking drivers to “be alert, make room for emergency responders, (and) expect substantial delays.”
The highway was closed at mile marker 32.3. Anyone traveling between Cody and Yellowstone was asked to find alternate routes.
Too Grisly
Wapiti resident Jimmy Rush was heading toward Cody for work when he observed the scene of the incident. It happened sometime between 8 and 8:30 a.m. Wednesday near the Old Faithful RV Park, just outside Wapiti.
“When I passed by, it was still a very early stage of the accident,” he said. “There were no first responders on the scene. There were at least four to five motorcycles and debris everywhere. I counted at least three bodies that I could see lying on the ground, not moving, with more down in ditches."
Rush said the victims were being attended to “by all of the gracious people of Wyoming,” who immediately pulled over and jumped out of vehicles to help.
A Silver Ford pickup truck, either an F-250 or F-350, had been “ejected out into a field,” according to Rush. From what he could see, it appeared to have "impacted something.”
“I immediately called (Park County Dispatch) and said, ‘You guys got to send everybody. There’s multiple bodies and multiple injuries, and one ambulance ain't going to get it done.’”
As Rush continued into Cody, he saw five Park County Sheriff’s deputies, multiple fire trucks, a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper, and two ambulances heading to the scene.
Rush took a photo of a WYDOT truck at the scene, which showed a damaged tailgate.
“It was the only picture I felt comfortable taking,” he said. “It was too grisly.”
What Happened?
No official information was available mid-morning Wednesday. Rush could only piece together a rough scenario of events based on what he observed.
“From what I can tell, the WYDOT truck was starting to do some type of work,” he said. “There were cones set up, but I don't know if he was setting those cones up for some pending work that was about to happen, or if he had set those cones up because of the accident.
“It’s really hard to tell, but it was severe.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
