1 dead, 1 injured after truck hits tree near Dubois

CASPER, Wyo. — One person is dead and another injured in a single-vehicle crash involving a truck and a tree at around 2 a.m. Aug. 2.

According to a preliminary report from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, a Ford F-250 was heading east on US 26/US 287 near Dubois when it drifted onto the eastbound dirt shoulder. The driver overcorrected to the left and went into a counter-clockwise rotation into a passenger-side-leading slide.

As the truck crossed the center line and into the borrow ditch, the driver was able to momentarily gain control before steering to the right on a steep grade and entering a clockwise yaw.

The Ford tripped and vaulted into a tree, hitting the trunk with its roof. The vehicle then dropped to the ground and landed on its roof.

Wyoming resident Elaine Whittenberger, 44, died in the crash. According to the WHP, no seat belt was in use, and speed and driver inattention are being cited as contributing factors.

This story contains preliminary information as provided by the Wyoming Highway Patrol via the Wyoming Department of Transportation Fatal Crash Summary map. The information may be subject to change.