1 Dead, 2 Injured After Car and Pickup Collide in Eastern Wyoming

One person was killed and two others injured Tuesday after a car and pickup collided in eastern Wyoming's Niobrara County, the Highway Patrol says.

It happened around 4:03 p.m. on U.S. 18, about 10 miles east of Mule Creek Junction near the South Dakota state line.

Wyoming Highway Patrol

According to a fatality crash summary, 54-year-old Iowa resident Jon McMullen-Chung was behind the wheel of an eastbound Chevrolet Impala when he crossed the centerline and collided with an oncoming Dodge Ram.

McMullen-Chung was wearing his seat belt but died from his injuries.

The pickup driver and a passenger were also reportedly injured in the crash but the summary did not say to what extent.

Driver inattention and driver fatigue are being investigated as possible contributing factors.

This is the 28th reported fatality on Wyoming's highways in 2023 compared to 12 in 2022, 17 in 2021, 11 in 2020, and 18 in 2019 to date.

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.

Source: 1 Dead, 2 Injured After Car and Pickup Collide in Eastern Wyoming

Filed Under: Wyoming Highway Patrol, fatal crash, Lusk, Niobrara County, Eastern Wyoming, driver fatigue, driver inattention, fatality crash summary

Categories: News, Wyoming