Wyoming Highway Patrol was notified of a tractor-trailer rollover around milepost 106 on WY-220 west of Casper at 9:20 am on January 27th.
The driver, identified as 59-year-old Elmwood, Wisconsin resident Lawrence Hughes, was headed westbound when he lost control due to a strong wind gust, according to WHP. The commercial truck exited the right side of the road and overturned before sliding down an embankment.
Hughes was wearing a seatbelt and transported to the Wyoming Medical Center for injuries sustained in the crash. The passenger has been identified as 59-year-old Elmwood, Wisconsin resident Machael Hughes. She was wearing a seatbelt and succumbed to her injuries at the scene of the crash.
High winds are being investigated as a possible contributing factor.
This is the 9th fatality on Wyoming’s roadways in 2021 compared to 3 in 2020, 14 in 2019, and 5 in 2018 to date.