Car Chase with Wyoming Highway Patrol Leads to Fatal Crash
According to a Facebook post by the Wyoming Highway Patrol, on Nov. 3 officers conducted a traffic stop on a 2021 Chrysler Van at milepost 80 on Interstate 80 near Green River for a traffic infraction.
After a backup officer arrived to assist with the traffic stop, the driver attempted to jump back into the Chrysler and drive away after talking with the troopers for a short time.
Troopers unsuccessfully tried to stop the driver from leaving before pursuing the vehicle as the driver fled east on Interstate 80 towards Rock Springs, with the pursuit reached speeds over one hundred twenty miles per hour.
According to the post, law enforcement deployed spike strips around milepost 97 on Interstate 80, however it is unclear if the vehicle hit the spikes or not.
The vehicle then collided with the back of a belly dump combination commercial vehicle at a high speeds after exiting the interstate at Exit 99 and the driver of the pursued vehicle was pronounced deceased from injuries sustained in the crash.
According to Highway Patrol there was approximately 83 pounds of "suspected marijuana" inside the vehicle, however it is unclear what exactly that was and someone involved with the case was not able to be reached at time of publication.
The driver of the commercial vehicle was not injured in the crash and Highway Patrol has not identified the driver of the Chrysler.
The investigation is still ongoing, and more information will be released as it becomes available.