Wyoming Man Hit, Killed While Trying to Get Car Unstuck From Snow

A Wyoming man was killed late Wednesday night after he was hit by a semi while trying to get his car unstuck from the snow, the Wyoming Highway Patrol says.

The incident happened around 11:45 p.m. at mile marker 34.5 on U.S. 18/U.S. 20, about six miles west of Lusk.

Wyoming Highway Patrol

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According to a crash summary, a tow vehicle was attempting to pull 31-year-old Austin Judy's Audi out of the south ditch when the driver of an eastbound semi attempted to navigate around them and lost control on the ice and snow-covered highway.

"The semi struck the Audi in a t-bone fashion and pushed it several hundred yards before coming to an uncontrolled rest in the ditch," the summary reads.

Judy was outside of his car at the time of the crash and was struck by the semi and killed.

The driver of the semi was not injured in the crash.

This is the second fatal crash in Niobrara County this month. The county didn't record any fatalities in 2022.

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.

WYDOT Urges 'Don't Crowd the Plow!' After 67 Plows Hit in 3 Years

Source: Wyoming Man Hit by Semi, Killed While Trying to Get Car Unstuck From Snow

Filed Under: wyoming, Snow, ice, blizzard, Wyoming Highway Patrol, Lusk, fatal crash, Blowing Snow, Niobrara County, pedestrian, commercial vehicle, snowing

Categories: Cheyenne, Wyoming