Two 19-Year-Old Wyomingites Killed in Separate Car Crashes

Two 19-Year-Old Wyomingites Killed in Separate Car Crashes

Canva

Two 19-year-old Wyoming men are dead following separate single-vehicle crashes in the Cowboy State, the Wyoming Highway Patrol says.

The first crash happened around 4:15 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19, at milepost 1 on County Road 74 near Torrington.

According to a fatality crash summary, Dallas Fierro was riding in an eastbound Dodge Charger when the driver lost control, went off the north side of the road, and hit a corral constructed of drill stem and sucker rod head-on.

"After the initial impact, the vehicle rotated counterclockwise and struck the corral a second time with its right-side front door," the summary reads. "A post and the top rail intruded into the passenger compartment."

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

The driver was also reportedly injured in the crash, but the summary did not say to what extent.

The summary says it was clear and the road was icy at the time of the crash, but does not list any possible contributing factors.

The second crash happened around 7:41 yesterday morning, Nov. 29, at milepost 45.5 on Wyoming 430 near Rock Springs.

The patrol says Matthew Phillips was headed northbound at a high rate of speed when his Chrysler Sebring went off the right side of the highway, jumped a large earth embankment, and rolled approximately two times.

Phillips wasn't properly buckled up and died from his injuries.

The fatality crash summary lists speed, driver inattention, and driver fatigue/asleep as possible contributing factors.

Fierro and Phillips are the second and third teens to die on Wyoming's highways since Nov. 19.

Their deaths bring the total number of people killed on Wyoming's highways so far this year to 133, compared to 124 at this time last year.

Look: 10 Worst States For Teen Drivers

In order to determine the best and worst states for teen drivers, WalletHub analyzed the teen-driving environment in the 50 states across three key dimensions: 1) Safety, 2) Economic Environment, and 3) Driving Laws.

Gallery Credit: Kyle Matthews

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, Wyoming Highway Patrol, Sweetwater County, fatal crash, Goshen County, Rock Springs, Torrington, speed, driver inattention, Goshen County Sheriff's Office, driver fatigue/asleep
Categories: News, Wyoming