One Dead in 3-Vehicle Crash Near Lovell
A three vehicle crash on July 28th has resulted in the death of 78 year old Lovell, Wyoming resident Dorothy B. Winterholler. The crash happened at 5:25 p.m. on US Highway 14A approximately three miles east of Lovell.
Winterholler was driving a small SUV eastbound on US 14A. Jose Rivera-Lopez, a 40 year old resident of Byron, Wyoming, was westbound driving an 18-wheeler. The driver's side rear set of dual tires came off the big rig, causing one of the tires to cross into the eastbound lane. Winterholler reacted by steering to the left to avoid the tire but it still hit her vehicle. After hitting the tire, her vehicle crossed into the westbound lane and collided with a westbound full-sized SUV.
Winterholler and the occupants of the truck she hit were all taken to the North Big Horn Hospital in Lovell. Rivera-Lopez was not hurt. Winterholler died at the hospital. Both Winterholler and Rivera-Lopez were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash. The occupants of the big SUV have yet to be identified.
The crash did cause a temporary closure of US 14A. Equipment failure is being investigated as the contributing factor in this crash. Charges are pending as the investigation continues.