1 fatality attributed to heavy eclipse traffic in Wyoming

A 65-year-old Colorado man is the only fatality in Wyoming attributed to the unprecedented traffic associated with Monday’s eclipse.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol says Palmer Kauffman, of Cherry Hills Village, died when his motorcycle collided with a vehicle about 12:30 p.m. Monday on Wyoming 487 north of Medicine Bow.

According to the patrol, Palmer was southbound amid slow, heavy traffic as thousands of people returned home after the total solar eclipse.

Kauffman was using the northbound lane to pass slower traffic when another vehicle also moved into the northbound lane. Kauffman was thrown from his bike and hit a delineator post.

The Wyoming Transportation Department reported an increase of more than 550,000 vehicles over the five-year average for Monday on state roads.

The patrol responded to 100 crashes that day.