LARAMIE, Wyoming, Oct. 1, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A 52-year-old man from Annabella, Utah, died Monday in a motor vehicle crash in Wyoming.
Matthew R. Anderson died at the scene, near milepost 19 on Wyoming Route 230, south of Laramie.
Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched to the multi-vehicle collision at about 1 p.m., said a WHP news release issued Tuesday night.
An eastbound Ford Superduty pickup truck was stopped near milepost 19, waiting for oncoming traffic to clear so it could make a left turn.
A 2000 Peterbilt tractor-trailer, driven by Anderson, was being followed by a 2012 GMC pickup. Both vehicles were eastbound and coming up behind the stopped Ford pickup, the news release states.
“A 2015 Peterbilt tractor-trailer combination was westbound when the GMC pickup pulled out to pass the 2000 Peterbilt. The GMC pickup completed the pass, and the driver of the GMC pickup did not notice that the Ford pickup was stopped, waiting to make a left turn,” the news release said.
The GMC pickup collided with the rear of the Ford pickup, pushing the Ford into the path of the westbound 2015 Peterbilt, resulting in a head-on collision.
The 2015 Peterbilt went out of control into the eastbound lane, collided head-on with the 2000 Peterbilt driven by Anderson, and then rolled once.
Officials identified the driver of the Ford as Steve H. Bottger, 65, a resident of Laramie.
The driver of the 2015 Peterbilt has been identified as William H. Bennett, 56, of Bayard, Nebraska.
The driver of the GMC has been identified as Brandon M. Chimenti, 37, of Laramie.
Bottger, Bennett, and Chimenti were injured in the crash and were transported to hospitals.
“Driver inattention, unsafe passing, and speed on the part of Chimenti are being investigated as possible contributing factors,” the WHP news release said.
WHP added that Anderson’s death was the 123rd fatality on Wyoming’s roadways in 2019 compared to 86 in 2018, 109 in 2017, and 91 in 2016 to date.
