3 Dead in Three-Vehicle Collision

A three vehicle crash resulting in three fatalities occurred on Saturday at 2:56 p.m. approximately one mile east of Cheyenne on Interstate 80. A 2011 Freightliner tractor-trailer combination unit was traveling west on I 80. The Freightliner was driven by 55 year old Brian D. Kehler of Alpine, Utah. While traveling west, the Freightliner entered the median, struck the cable barrier in the median, entered the eastbound lanes of travel and collided with an eastbound minivan driven by 42 year old Aaron Richard of Cascade, Iowa.

The Freightliner continued west in the eastbound lanes of travel and collided with another minivan driven by 44 year old James Ednie of Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Freightliner and the second van came to rest in the eastbound lanes locked together from the partial head-on crash.

Mr. Ednie and his front seat passenger, 41 year old Tanya Gooden, also of Cheyenne, were killed in the crash. Both were buckled in. 23 year old Cameron Gooden was seated in his wheelchair in the backseat area of the minivan driven by Mr. Ednie. Cameron Gooden was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Denver, Colorado where he died the next morning on November 09th.

Mr. Richard, driver of the first minivan to be hit, was taken to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center (CRMC) where he was treated and released. Mr. Kehler, driver of the Freightliner, and his passenger, 51 year old Steven Marks of St George, Utah, were both taken by ambulance to CRMC and were treated and released. Mr. Richard and Mr. Kehler were both buckled in at the time of the crash. Mr. Marks was in the sleeper berth of the Freightliner at the time of the crash.

Mechanical failure on the Freightliner is being investigated as the contributing factor in this crash. The investigation will be turned over to the Laramie County District Attorney's office for review for any charges to be filed. This crash did cause eastbound Interstate 80 to be closed for approximately five plus hours with traffic being detoured around the crash scene with the assistance of the Laramie County Sheriff's Office.

Mr. Ednie, Tanya Gooden and Cameron Gooden marked the 130th, 131st and 132nd fatalities on Wyoming highways for 2014.