Nebraska Man Dies In Motorcycle Crash

A man from central Nebraska died in a motorcycle crash in Converse County on Friday, according to a news release from the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

Meddie J. Cote, 58, of Cozad, Neb., was traveling westbound on U.S. Highway 18-20 about three miles east of Orin Junction and Interstate 25, according to the news release from Sgt. David Wagener.

At 10:10 a.m., Cote came upon a deer in the road and was unable to avoid hitting it. The collision caused the motorcycle to overturn, throwing him and his passenger, 57-year-old Joyce Cote, off the motorcycle.

They were taken to the Memorial Hospital of Converse County in Douglas by ground ambulance. Meddie Coat died of his injuries at the hospital. Joyce Cote was hospitalized and her status was unknown at the time of the news release.

Both occupants were wearing helmets at the time of the crash.

The highway was temporarily closed from 10:37 a.m. until 11:09 a.m.

Maddie Cote is projected to be the 69th highway fatality in Wyoming for 2015. There were 74 fatalities in this same time period in 2014.