One person was killed and two people injured Tuesday night after a pickup and semi collided on Interstate 80 between Green River and Rock Springs.

It happened around 7:44 p.m. at mile marker 96.2.

Wyoming Highway Patrol
Wyoming Highway Patrol
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According to a crash summary from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, 54-year-old Illinois resident Rafael Cervantes was behind the wheel of a westbound pickup when he lost control and slid onto the north shoulder.

Cervantes overcorrected back onto the interstate but jackknifed before going across the median and into oncoming traffic where he was hit by a semi that didn't have time to stop.

Cervantes was not wearing his seat belt and died from his injuries.

The driver of the semi and a passenger were also injured in the crash, but the patrol didn't say to what extent.

The summary says it was blowing snow and the interstate was icy at the time of the crash.

Driver fatigue/asleep, a possible medical condition, and speed are being investigated as possible contributing factors.

This is the third fatal crash on I-80 this week.

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.

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