Update 6 p.m.: Interstate 80 has reopened after the eastbound lanes had been closed at Rawlins most of Saturday. This story has been updated with the latest information available.

Update 5:30 p.m.: The Wyoming Department of Transportation has lifted most of the closure notices for eastbound I-80, but the highway remains closed between Rawlins and exit 235 at Walcott Junction. Also, part of the reason for the closure is for fire crews to put out grass fires started by the crash. This story has been updated to reflect the latest information available.

Update 3:10 p.m.: The Wyoming Highway Patrol confirms one person died when two semitrailers collided Saturday morning and one became engulfed in flames. This story has been updated to reflect the latest information available.

Eastbound Interstate 80 at Rawlins has reopened after being closed for more eight hours Saturday after a fiery and fatal crash involving two semitrailers. The crash backed up traffic for miles and kept a host of University of Wyoming football fans from the team’s home opener.

Not much information about the crash has been available, but what has been reported is that it happened about 9:30 a.m. Saturday at about milepost 223 and had the interstate’s eastbound lanes under a rolling closure from exit 111 west of Rawlins and a full closure through exit 235 at Walcott Junction for most of the day, the Wyoming Department of Transportation reports.

As of 6 p.m., the last of the closures had been dropped and eastbound I-80 was open again.

Along with cleaning up the wreckage, the highway closure was extended because crews were also working to put out grass fires along the interstate caused by the crash, the Wyoming Department of Transportation reports.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol continues to investigate the crash, which killed an occupant of one of the trucks, WHP Trooper Jason Simmer told Cowboy State Daily.

After they collided, one of the commercial vehicles “was engulfed by fire,” according to a WHP report.

“Crews are working diligently to reopen the roadway; however, due to the heavy damage to the vechicles, it’s taking time to remove them safely from the highway,” the WHP report said.

That information corroborates what another WHP officer told Cody Lane at the Stinker I-80 Travel Plaza near Sinclair, where many of the stranded drivers waited for the highway to reopen.

“The Highway Patrol said there was at least one fatality, and that was all he was authorized to give out,” said Lane, an attendant at the truck stop.

A call to the Carbon County Coroner’s Office for more information about the crash fatality wasn’t returned.

Hurry Up And Wait

Lane said he’s used I-80 being closed for one reason or another, but it’s usually during winter for weather-related reasons.

“Honestly, we’re not too busy right now,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “Mostly the travelers come in and ask if there’s another way around. The last time the Highway Patrol was in here he said it’s going to be another three hours.”

He said travelers have reported various details about what they observed driving past the crash scene, but much of it is conflicting.

For example, Lane said he’s been told the crash may involve two semis, while another motorist said it looked like a semi had hit a smaller parked car.

“We don’t really know. We just know there was a big-old fire,” Lane said, adding he climbed on top of the truck stop to get a better view. “There was a big-old bunch of black smoke.”

Those who stuck around around and waited for the highway to reopen got a little hungry as the time passed, Lane said.

“They’re buying mostly snacks, like Cheez-Its, meat sticks, Gatorade and other snacky stuff,” he said.

Many of those waiting were UW Cowboys fans, he said, who had to listen to the game on the radio or try to stream a broadcast. The Cowboys lost 17-13 to the University of Idaho.

“Most of the travelers, yes, they say they were on the way to the game,” he said.

Others reported being stuck for hours in the bumper-to-bumper wall of semitrucks and other vehicles, posting their experiences to the popular Wyoming Road and Weather Conditiuons Reports Updates Facebook page.

“My kids have bene stuck out there for over six hours,” posted Robin Britt-Layton. “Thankfully they don’t ahve the babies with them.”

One of those who couldn’t get to the UW game was Lauri Shoopman, who posted that, “We tried getting to Ft. Steele every which way, didn’t happen. We just came home instead of traveling to the game.”

“I’m so glad I’m not stuck there anymore,” added Kellie Whitzel. “Two and a half hours was long enough.”

Jennifer Nelsen of Green River showed her relief when she posted “Finally!!!!” after waiting for hours for traffic to start moving.

Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.

Sheridan’s next game is scheduled for Friday, September 13th at Natrona at 7pm.

Big Horn’s next game is scheduled for Friday, September 13th at home vs. Wheatland at 6pm.

Tongue River’s next game is scheduled for Friday, September 13th at home vs. Burns at 2pm.

Buffalo’s next game is scheduled for Friday, September 13th at home vs. Jackson at 6pm.

Kaycee’s next game is scheduled for Friday, September 13th at Burlington at 2pm.

4A Standings:

Campbell County 2-0

Cheyenne East 2-0

Natrona 2-0

Sheridan 2-0

Kelly Walsh 1-1

Rock Springs 1-1

Cheyenne Central 0-2

Cheyenne South 0-2

Laramie 0-2

Thunder Basin 0-2

4A Scores from this week:

Sheridan 28 Thunder Basin 0

Cheyenne East 84 Cheyenne South 6

Campbell County 21 Cheyenne Central 19

Natrona 28 Rock Springs 3

Kelly Walsh 34 Laramie 14

3A East Standings:

Buffalo 1-0

Douglas 1-0

Lander 1-0

Torrington 1-0

Rawlins 0-1

Riverton 0-1

3A West Standings:

Cody 1-0

Powell 1-0

Star Valley 1-0

Evanston 0-1

Green River 0-1

Jackson 0-1

3A Scores from this week:

Buffalo 42 2A Newcastle 14

Torrington 26 2A Wheatland 6

2A Pinedale 48 Rawlins 12

Cody 47 Riverton 24

Douglas 33 Jackson 23

Lander 21 Green River 14

Powell 17 2A Worland 0

Star Valley 49 Preston, ID 13

Vista Ridge, CO 38 Evanston 14

2A East Standings:

Big Horn 1-0

Glenrock 0-0

Upton-Sundance 0-0

Burns 0-1

Moorcroft 0-1

Newcastle 0-1

Tongue River 0-1

Wheatland 0-1

2A West Standings:

Kemmerer 1-0

Lyman 1-0

Mountain View 1-0

Pinedale 1-0

Thermopolis 1-0

Cokeville 0-1

Lovell 0-1

Worland 0-1

2A Scores from this week:

Big Horn 28 Lovell 24

Thermopolis 34 Tongue River 0

Lyman 48 Burns 6

Kemmerer 50 Moorcroft 6

3A Buffalo 42 Newcastle 14

3A Torrington 26 Wheatland 6

Holyoke, CO at Glenrock – Saturday 2pm

3A Powell 17 Worland 0

Pinedale 48 3A Rawlins 12

Mountain View 28 Randolph, UT Rich County 0

West Jefferson, ID 27 Cokeville 7

9-Man East Standings:

Lingle-Ft. Laramie 1-0

Lusk 1-0

Pine Bluffs 1-0

Saratoga 1-0

Southeast 1-0

Wright 1-0

Guernsey-Sunrise 0-0

9-Man West Standings:

Wyoming Indian 0-0

Big Piney 0-1

Greybull 0-1

Rocky Mountain 0-1

Shoshoni 0-1

Wind River 0-1

9-Man Scores from this week:

Lingle-Ft. Laramie 63 Wind River 14

Southeast 30 Big Piney 8

Pine Bluffs 45 Shoshoni 6

Lusk 22 Rocky Mountain 12

Wright 34 Greybull 8

Saratoga 67 Cheyenne South JV 7

Wyoming Indian at Guernsey-Sunrise – Saturday 1pm

6-Man North Standings:

Kaycee 1-0

Midwest 1-0

Burlington 0-0

Hulett 0-0

Meeteetse 0-0

Ten Sleep 0-0

Riverside 0-1

6-Man South Standings:

Encampment 1-0

Dubois 0-0

H.E.M. 0-0

Little Snake River 0-0

Casper Christian 0-1

Farson-Eden 0-1

6-Man Scores from this week:

Kaycee 34 Farson-Eden 20

Encampment 46 Riverside 13

Midwest 53 Casper Christian 6

Burlington at Little Snake River – Saturday 1pm

H.E.M. vs. Hulett – Saturday 1pm at Midwest

Dubois at Ten Sleep – Saturday 2pm

CASPER, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) – As the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming (BGCCW) prepare to host its 26th annual awards and recognition breakfast event, nine youth have been nominated for the title of Youth of the Year.

To qualify for the award, participants must be active club members for at least two years, be over the age of 14, and to demonstrate good moral character and academic excellence.

This year’s nominees are Alex M., Brooklyn S., and Derrek K. from Kelly Walsh High School; Brynn M., Quincey B., and Daniel E. from Natrona County High School; Gracee G. from Sheridan High School; Isabell N. from Dubois High School; And finally, Jase B. from Heathrow Academy.

The winner of the title of Youth of the Year will receive a $7500 scholarship.

By recognizing these youth, the BGCCW team hopes to empower teens and shape the next generation of leaders.

Teen Director Sherman Hill explains, “A lot of them want to do something fantastic in the future. They want to be social workers, they want to be teachers, they want to do everything like that. So this is that stepping stone of letting them show, if they give back to the community, give back to the club, they have this opportunity to get that head step.”

The Youth of the Year will be announced at the BGCCW awards and recognition breakfast on Wednesday, September 18.

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