2 Dead After Motorhome Pulls in Front of Motorcycle in NE Wyoming

A husband and wife are dead following a collision in northeast Wyoming's Crook County, the Highway Patrol says.

The crash happened around 12:33 p.m. last Monday, July 31, at milepost 170.38 on U.S. 14, about 15 miles north of Moorcroft.

Wyoming Highway Patrol

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Lt. Kyle McKay says 84-year-old Helmut Kanoldt, of Sun Lakes, California, was behind the wheel of an eastbound motorhome when he realized he was headed in the wrong direction and pulled off the highway into the City of Gillette Madison Pumping Station.

When Kanoldt attempted to make a U-turn to head back west, he reportedly pulled out in front of 69-year-old Frenchman Jean Marie Godard and his wife, 75-year-old Chantal Bouvet Godard, who were on an eastbound motorcycle.

According to a fatality crash summary, Jean Marie Godard attempted to avoid an impact by steering to the left but collided with the motorhome's left front quarter panel.

The Godards were wearing helmets but died at the scene.

McKay says Kanoldt and his wife, 85-year-old Rose Kanoldt, were not transported.

The summary lists driver inattention as a possible contributing factor.

The Godards are the fourth and fifth motorcyclists to be killed on Wyoming's highways so far this year.

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It's possible for cars, trucks, and motorcycles to safely share the road, but it takes mindfulness and cooperation on everyone's part. Remember these 10 tips before heading out on your next journey.

2022's Deadliest Wyoming County by Traffic Deaths

While car crashes can occur anywhere, some roads in Wyoming are more dangerous than others.

According to Wyoming Highway Patrol data, there were 117 fatal crashes in the Cowboy State in 2022 resulting in 133 deaths.

Of those fatal crashes, the majority (13.68%) occurred in Laramie County -- two in January, one in February, one in March, two in April, one in June, two in July, three in August, two in September, one in November, and one in December.

Sweetwater County saw the second most fatal crashes last year, 12, while Fremont and Lincoln counties each saw 10.

Albany and Park counties each recorded eight, and Campbell, Converse, and Natrona counties each tallied seven.

The deadliest 2022 crash in Laramie County took place on June 17 when two semis collided on Interstate 80 east of Cheyenne and immediately became engulfed in flames killing both drivers and a passenger.

Laramie County also saw two fatal crashes involving motorcyclists, two fatal crashes involving juveniles, and a fatal crash involving a pedestrian last year.

Below is the Wyoming Highway Patrol narrative of every fatal crash that occurred in Laramie County in 2022.

Source: 2 Dead After Motorhome Pulls in Front of Motorcycle in Northeast Wyoming