Wyoming Man Dead After Crashing Into Fire Hydrant, Light Post
The Wyoming Highway Patrol says a medical condition may be to blame for a crash that left a Wyoming man dead.
The crash happened around 7:47 p.m. yesterday, Feb. 13, at the intersection of Big Horn Avenue and 9th Street in Worland.
Wyoming Highway Patrol
According to a fatality crash summary, 53-year-old Joel Arellano was headed west on Big Horn Avenue and had stopped for the red light, but when the light turned green, he "stayed momentarily and then rapidly accelerated," colliding with a fire hydrant and light post.
Arellano was wearing his seat belt but died from his injuries.
This is the 20th reported fatality on Wyoming's highways in 2023 compared to six in 2022, 14 in 2021, six in 2020, and 17 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.
- 3 Dead After Semis Collide on I-80 East of Cheyenne
- Wyoming Highway Patrol Releases More Details in Fiery I-80 Crash That Killed 3
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.