Two Dead in Fiery Explosion After Semitrailer Crashes into Illegally Parked Truck on I-80 in Wyoming

Two people are dead after a semitrailer exploded upon impact with another illegally parked semitrailer along Interstate 80 near Green River, Wyoming, early Sunday morning. The violent collision, which a fire official described as “almost like a movie scene,” resulted in a massive fire and closed the eastbound lanes of the interstate for several hours.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol reports the crash occurred around 5:23 a.m. near mile marker 93. A semitrailer was illegally parked on the right shoulder of the highway when a second semi, traveling eastbound, veered from the left lane across the roadway and struck the trailer of the parked truck. “The second semi basically exploded on impact,” said WHP spokesman Aaron Brown. Both occupants of the moving truck were killed.

The driver of the illegally parked semi was outside the cab at the time of the crash and was issued a summons. Officials confirmed there was no apparent emergency to justify the parking, making it a violation. The reason the moving truck drifted across the highway remains under investigation.

Green River Fire Department Assistant Chief Larry Erdmann said the force of the explosion made the scene uniquely destructive. Firefighters worked to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby grasses. The department later thanked the local Hitching Post Restaurant and Saloon for providing free breakfast burritos to emergency responders who spent hours at the scene.

The identities of the two victims, who were from California, have not yet been released. The crash remains under investigation by the Wyoming Highway Patrol.