Wyoming Man Killed After Colliding With Snowplow Near Jackson

Wyoming Man Killed After Colliding With Snowplow Near Jackson

A 31-year-old Wyoming man is dead after colliding with a snowplow near Jackson early Friday morning.

It happened around 3:30 a.m. at milepost 151 on U.S. 89, a quarter of a mile south of Jackson.

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According to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Sublette County resident Shane Copeland was behind the wheel of a northbound Ford F-550 when he crossed the centerline and collided with an oncoming Wyoming Department of Transportation snowplow that was plowing the road.

The Patrol says the snowplow driver, who was driving around 25 mph, tried to avoid Copeland by making an evasive turn but was unsuccessful.

"A second WYDOT vehicle had just left the WYDOT yard moments before and was traveling northbound on US 89 and witnessed the collision," the Patrol said in a news release.

The Patrol says fire and EMS personnel extricated Copeland from his pickup and made every effort to save him, but he died at the scene.

The snowplow driver was wearing their seat belt and only suffered minor injuries.

Driver fatigue is being investigated as a possible contributing factor.

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

Filed Under: Wyoming Highway Patrol, fatal crash, Jackson, pickup, Sublette County, driver fatigue, U.S. 89
Categories: News, Wyoming