The man who died in a multi-vehicle incident near Wapiti has been identified as Terry Zaske, 48, of Rapid City, South Dakota.
Zaske was riding his motorcycle on U.S. Highway 14/16/20 on Wednesday when he was struck by a Ford pickup truck that swerved into his lane near Wapiti, the Wyoming Highway Patrol said.
Zaske died at the scene. Zaske's wife, Candis, was LifeFlighted to a hospital in Billings, Montana, where she is recovering from serious injuries.
Kaitlyn Zaske, Terry’s daughter, also from Rapid City, started the GoFundMe to pay for her father's funeral and cover her stepmother's medical bills. She described her father as a jovial soul and a doting grandfather, taken from her family too soon.
“My dad was so many things to so many people,” she wrote. “He was a son, father, grandpa, brother, uncle, and friend. He was my dad and losing him so unexpectedly has left a hole in our family that words cannot describe.”
The Incident
Zaske and three other motorcycles were traveling west on U.S. 14/16/20 toward Yellowstone National Park when the eastbound pickup truck drifted into the opposite lane. The truck struck two motorcycles directly, including Zaske’s, which caused the motorcycles behind them to crash as well.
A Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) vehicle, traveling behind the motorcycles, attempted to swerve to avoid the oncoming truck. The truck clipped the WYDOT vehicle’s tailgate and continued into a field before coming to a stop.
Ten people and six vehicles were involved in the incident. Five people were seriously injured.
“One person was taken by helicopter to Billings for medical treatment,” said Wyoming Highway Patrol spokesperson Aaron Brown. “Another was taken by ambulance to Cody before being flown to Billings as well. Two others were taken by ambulance to Cody with non-life-threatening injuries, where they were treated and released.”
The Highway Patrol said the driver of the Ford pickup was responsible for the accident. Driver inattention and driver fatigue/asleep were the contributing factors.
As of Friday, it’s unknown whether any charges have been or will be filed against the pickup driver.
U.S. 14/16/20 was closed for 5 1/2 hours as first responders treated the victims and cleared the highway of debris.
Permanent Pain
Candis Zaske is still receiving medical care in Billings. Kaitlyn said her stepmother has “a long road ahead” that will keep her from working.
Knowing the costs of her father's funeral and stepmother's medical bills will be immense, Kaitlyn is turning to friends, family, and other motorcyclists for support.
“While no amount of money can ever take away this pain, we are asking for help to ease some of the financial burden that has suddenly fallen on our family,” she wrote. “Nothing is expected, but everything is appreciated.”
As of Friday, the GoFundMe had reached more than $8,000 of its $14,000 goal.
Kaitlyn shared that she and her father were attempting to repair their relationship after years of conflict when he died. She “will forever wish we had more time.”
“We were just starting to find our way back to each other,” she wrote. “Regardless of everything, he was still my dad. He was still a grandpa, and he loved all of his kids and grandkids with everything he had.”
Kaitlyn will remember her father’s humor and how much he enjoyed doting on his grandchildren. The accident “unexpectedly changed (our family) forever.”
“He had a way of cracking a joke and making anyone laugh, but one of the things I will always remember most was how much he loved his grandchildren and how much he loved to spoil them,” she wrote. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out, prayed for us, shared their love, or offered support during this heartbreaking time. It means more to our family than you will ever know.”
The Zaske family could not be reached at the time of publication.
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
