(Gillette, Wyo.) Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers were called to the scene of a vehicle rollover on I-80 near the city of Laramie, Wyoming yesterday, June 20th. Troopers arrived on scene at 12:01 a.m. where they found a 2002 Ford Explorer severely damaged and resting on its roof.
According to the report, the vehicle was estimated to be traveling at a speed in excess of 90 mph when the vehicle drifted onto the shoulder of the road, exiting the roadway and entering the ditch. The driver of the vehicle attempted to correct the vehicles trajectory back onto the roadway but over-corrected, causing the Explorer to enter the median area of the highway. The Ford Explorer rolled several times and came to rest on its roof.
The driver, identified as 20-year-old Jesse Rigdon from Cheyenne, Wyoming, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Rigdon was reportedly wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident.
Excess speed and driver fatigue have been listed as contributing factors in the crash.
This accident marks the 58th fatality on Wyoming highways in 2017 alone. Please remember that it is just as dangerous to operate a motor vehicle when tired as it is to drive drunk. If you find yourself overly tired at the wheel, please stop and rest. And as always, obey all traffic laws and speed limits.
