Illinois Man Dies In Crash North Of Shoshoni
An Illinois man died in a crash north of Shoshoni on Tuesday, according to a news release from the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
Marion Mabry Jr., 45, of Calumet Park, Ill., was driving a commercial truck towing a trailer south on U.S. Highway 20 in a steep left curve, according to the news release from Patrol Sgt. David Wagener.
At 12:44 p.m., the truck left the highway and was overcorrected to the left. That caused the cargo -- about 42,000 pounds of bagged bentonite -- to shift.
The load shift caused the truck and trailer to trip and roll over. The truck came to rest on a section of guardrail. The trailer was left hanging over a 40-foot embankment.
Mabry was not wearing his seat belt and was ejected during the crash. He died at the scene.
Both lanes of U.S. Highway 20 were closed until 2:55 p.m. The scene eventually became safe for first responders to set up traffic control and route traffic around the crash one lane at a time.
The Highway Patrol is investigating driver distraction because of an electronic device, an improperly secured load, and failure to wear a seat belt as contributing factors in the crash.
This marked the 46th highway fatality in Wyoming in 2016, compared to 70 fatalities this same time last year.