Four people die, one injured in fatal crashes over Labor Day weekend

Three people died in a fatal crash on Friday north of Lingle, the Wyoming Highway Patrol said in a statement.

Highway patrol was notified of a two-vehicle crash at 3:45 p.m., the statement said. Troopers arrived on scene near milepost 112 on U.S. Route 85.

A 2023 Toyota Camry was heading south while a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica minivan was going north, the statement said. 

“The Chrysler crossed the center line and entered the southbound lane of travel, where it impacted head-on with the Toyota,” the statement said.

Alicia Rodriguez, 44, of Torrington, was the driver of the Toyota, the statement said.

Nels Smith, 84, of Beulah, was driving the Chrysler. His passenger was 85-year-old Jeanette Smith, also of Beulah.

Driver inattention and fatigue are being considered as possible causes of the crash, the statement said. All three people were wearing seatbelts at the time.

The weather was clear in the area, and the roads were dry. 

Rodriguez, Nels and Jeanette were the 97th, 98th and 99th people to die on Wyoming’s roads this year, the statement said. 

Saturday, a 53-year-old motorcyclist was killed near Cody, the statement said. The crash happened at 4:10 p.m. in Park County.

Bonnie Lara was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle west on Wyoming Highway 296, the statement said. There is a steep grade with a sharp curve to the left near milepost 32.

Lara’s motorcycle “exited the travel lane to the right, and struck the guardrail,” the statement said. She was not wearing a helmet at the time.

Speed is being considered as a possible contributing factor. The roads were dry, and the weather was clear in the area. 

Lara was the 100th person to die on Wyoming’s roads this year. One other unidentified person was injured in the crash, but the extent of those injuries was not disclosed. 

At the same time last year, there were 89 deaths in 2022, 81 in 2021 and 86 in 2020.