2 killed in Wyoming tunnel crash

Emergency crews are responding to a fatal crash Friday that has shut down a tunnel in Wyoming.

Emergency crews are responding to a fatal crash Friday that has shut down a tunnel in Wyoming. (Wyoming Department of Transportation )


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KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Emergency crews responded to a fatal crash on I-80 near Green River, Wyoming.
  • Two people were killed, and the tunnel remains closed with no reopening estimate.
  • Wyoming officials urge caution and detours; emergency services are addressing the situation.

GREEN RIVER, Wyoming — Emergency crews responded to a fatal crash that killed two people and shut down a tunnel road in Wyoming on Friday.

Just after 11:30 a.m., Wyoming troopers responded to a multi-vehicle crash on westbound I-80 inside the tunnels next to the city of Green River. Officials confirmed two people were killed but did not expound further on the incident.

Black smoke could be seen exiting the tunnels while cars were lined up outside. Both directions of the tunnel remained shut down late Friday as officials continued investigating the crash. At 9:30 p.m., firefighters were extinguishing the last few spot fires inside the tunnel, the Wyoming Department of Transportation said.

"The Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office is urging all travelers to avoid the I-80 tunnels near Green River due to a multi-vehicle pileup, active fire and explosion threat," the sheriff's office posted on social media.

Westbound I-80 was closed from Rawlins to Rock Springs for several hours Friday, causing significant travel delays. Traffic was being diverted through the city of Green River.

The Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County asked the public to refrain from visiting the hospital unless for an emergency due to the "mass-casualty incident" in the tunnels.

"Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County is currently working to provide immediate care to those affected. As a community please be advised that we are working to provide care and take care of those that are involved," the hospital said on social media.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation's website shows the roads have reopened from the crash, but several are under black ice warnings.

"We want to express our sincerest appreciation to first responders in Sweetwater County for their support and assistance in responding to this tragic crash," said Wyoming Highway Patrol Lt. Col. Karl Germain. "Motorists are reminded to obey posted speed limits through the detour, and delays are likely."

About 5 p.m., the tunnel was evacuated, and transportation geologists and engineers arrived to assess tunnel infrastructure.

"I am praying for all concerned and their families. I have directed the appropriate agencies to work with the local communities to offer aid and assistance to the injured, to those who have suffered loss, and in support of efforts to resolve ongoing concerns," Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said. "I am immensely grateful to the emergency responders who acted so quickly and without concern for their own personal safety to reach those in peril. We will offer any and all assistance we can to the fullest extent of my powers. Safety for the community and for those directly affected is our top priority."

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The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

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Cassidy Wixom is an award-winning reporter for KSL.com. She covers Utah County communities, arts and entertainment, and breaking news. Cassidy graduated from BYU before joining KSL in 2022.
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