Deadly Teton Pass crash investigation completed
Wyoming Highway Patrol investigators say a truck that crashed at the base of Teton Pass September 30th and killed the driver was somewhere between 15,000 and 18,000 pounds overweight. Driver Jay Winn, 36, was descending a 10 percent grade pulling a car crusher. Winn died when his combination failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway at the Wilson town limits.
According to Troopers, both sides of the pass, also known as WYO 22, are signed to warn drivers of the steep grade and of the posted legal weight limit of 60 thousand pounds. There is also an unmanned weigh station on the west side of the pass where truck drivers can weigh their vehicles before starting up the pass. Drivers whose vehicles are over the weight limit must use an alternate route or face citations and fines.
Coincidentally, a Highway Patrol Mobile Education and Enforcement Team (MEET) has been working on Teton Pass this week. It had originally been scheduled to work the highway the week of the crash.
The MEET team inspected a total of 56 vehicles during its three day enforcement effort. Seven drivers and 25 unsafe vehicles were placed out of service. Two truck drivers were operating over the 60 thousand pound limit. A total of 36 citations were issued to the 56 trucks. One driver was arrested for driving under the influence.
