A violent collision between two semitrailers tore up a stretch of eastbound Interstate 80 near Arlington just before noon Thursday, killing at least one person and sending another to the hospital by air ambulance. The wreck shut down I-80 eastbound between Rawlins and Laramie for hours; by 4:15 p.m., troopers had cleared the scene and WYDOT reopened the roadway to traffic.
Wyoming Highway Patrol reported the crash around midday and warned the closure could last four to six hours. A WHP photo from the scene shows both rigs mangled on the shoulder with debris strewn across both lanes for roughly a hundred feet; the front ends are crushed, and one truck was still smoking.
WHP public information officer Aaron Brown confirmed the fatality and the medical flight and said investigators are working to determine what happened. During the closure, drivers were urged to check the Wyoming 511 app for updates and use US 30 as the most practical workaround. Many truckers parked it in Laramie on the east side and in Rawlins or Sinclair on the west, while the Sinclair Stinker I-80 Travel Plaza at Exit 221 filled with motorists grabbing meals and waiting out the shutdown.
Details on the cause of the crash weren’t immediately available. This story will be updated as authorities release more information.
With input from Cowboy State Daily, County 10, Wyoming News Now.
The latest news in your social feeds
Subscribe to our social media platforms to stay tuned