UPDATE: Wyoming Man Dies From Injuries 10 Days After Fatal Crash

UPDATE:

The driver of a Jeep who was injured in a fatal collision in southeast Wyoming's Carbon County last month has died, the Wyoming Highway Patrol says.

The collision happened around 6:46 a.m. on Nov. 30, around mile marker 274 on U.S. 30/U.S. 287, just east of Medicine Bow or about 15 miles northwest of Rock River.

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According to a fatality crash summary, 31-year-old Wyoming resident Zachary Clar was behind the wheel of a westbound Jeep Compass when he went off the left-hand side of the highway, overcorrected to the right, reentered the highway in a driver-side leading slide, overcorrected to the left, spun counterclockwise into the eastbound lane, and struck an oncoming Infiniti JX35 being driven by 25-year-old Wyoming resident Richard King.

King, who was wearing his seat belt, reportedly died at the scene.

Clar, who was not buckled up, and a passenger were reportedly taken to area hospitals with serious injuries, and Clar passed away on Dec. 10.

The summary lists speed and driver fatigue/asleep as possible contributing factors.

The men's deaths bring the total number of fatalities on Wyoming's highways this year to 138, compared to 130 in 2022, 110 in 2021, 127 in 2020, and 143 in 2019 to date.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Wyoming Highway Patrol says speed and driver fatigue may be to blame for a collision in southeast Wyoming's Carbon County that left one person dead and two others injured.

It happened around 6:46 a.m. last Thursday, Nov. 30, around mile marker 274 on U.S. 30/U.S. 287, just east of Medicine Bow or about 15 miles northwest of Rock River.

According to a fatality crash summary, the driver of a Jeep Compass was headed west when they went off the left-hand side of the highway, overcorrected to the right, reentered the highway in a driver-side leading slide, overcorrected to the left, spun counterclockwise into the eastbound lane, and struck an oncoming Infiniti JX35.

The collision left one of the drivers, 25-year-old Wyoming resident Richard King, dead, and the other driver and a passenger injured.

The summary says it was clear and the highway was dry when the crash occurred.

King is the 134th person to die on Wyoming's highways in 2023, compared to 125 in 2022, 107 in 2021, 120 in 2020, and 142 in 2019 to date.

Road Fatalities: Most Dangerous Time, Day, and Month by State

Knowing what dangers are ahead is part of being a good driver. Georgia-based attorneys at Bader Scott gathered information from the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHTSA) to determine the most fatal time, day, and month to be on the road in each of the 50 states.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow

2022's Deadliest Wyoming County by Traffic Deaths

While car crashes can occur anywhere, some roads in Wyoming are more dangerous than others.

According to Wyoming Highway Patrol data, there were 117 fatal crashes in the Cowboy State in 2022 resulting in 133 deaths.

Of those fatal crashes, the majority (13.68%) occurred in Laramie County -- two in January, one in February, one in March, two in April, one in June, two in July, three in August, two in September, one in November, and one in December.

Sweetwater County saw the second most fatal crashes last year, 12, while Fremont and Lincoln counties each saw 10.

Albany and Park counties each recorded eight, and Campbell, Converse, and Natrona counties each tallied seven.

The deadliest 2022 crash in Laramie County took place on June 17 when two semis collided on Interstate 80 east of Cheyenne and immediately became engulfed in flames killing both drivers and a passenger.

Laramie County also saw two fatal crashes involving motorcyclists, two fatal crashes involving juveniles, and a fatal crash involving a pedestrian last year.

Below is the Wyoming Highway Patrol narrative of every fatal crash that occurred in Laramie County in 2022.

Gallery Credit: Joy Greenwald

Source: UPDATE: Wyoming Man Dies From Injuries 10 Days After Fatal Crash