A late-night crash near Alpine turned deadly Friday when a Wyoming man lost control of his SUV and slammed into a large tree, according to the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
Troopers say it happened around 2:50 a.m. on Aug. 8 at milepost 121.3 on US 26/US 89.
47-year-old Theodore Filcher was driving a Toyota 4Runner southbound when he approached a right-hand curve. Instead of making the turn, the SUV drifted onto the northbound shoulder, sliding sideways for nearly 300 feet. The vehicle then “tripped,” flipping driver’s side first into a turnout.
From there, the 4Runner rolled multiple times, hit an embankment, and slammed into several trees — one of them big enough to bounce the SUV back toward the highway. It finally came to rest on the northbound shoulder.
Filcher wasn’t wearing a seat belt and died at the scene.
The crash summary lists speed as a possible factor in the wreck.
This marks Wyoming’s 68th fatal crash of the year, bringing the statewide death toll to 76 so far in 2025.
The original story by Joy Greenwald for KGAB.
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