287 Fatalities Decreased

Release from the Wyoming Highway Patrol...

The Wyoming Highway Patrol is excited to share a success story of zero fatalities for a twenty-one month span on US 287 south of Laramie to the Colorado state line.

From July 24th, 2012 to April 27th, 2014 zero fatal crashes occurred on one of Wyoming's busiest stretches of non-interstate highway.

US 287 from Laramie to the Colorado state line encompasses twenty-five miles of roadway and is the second most traveled highway connecting Wyoming to Colorado.

The Laramie trooper division responsible for patrolling this stretch of roadway identified the twenty-five miles as a target highway in their strategic efforts to reduce fatalities. This division is composed of eleven troopers and Lieutenant Tom Pritchard. Lieutenant Pritchard credited the troopers high level of presence and enforcement action on the highway as the main reasons for the lack of fatalities. Lieutenant Pritchard stated that the local troopers attempt to have at least one or two troopers present on US 287 when weather and calls for service permit.

In 2012, area troopers spent an estimated 3023 hours patrolling US 287 issuing approximately 4745 citations ranging from speeding and lack of seat belt use to unsafe passing and impaired driving. The lack of fatalities in 2013 on the twenty-five mile section of US 287 was the first such occurrence on record.

As the 4th of July holiday weekend approaches, the Wyoming Highway Patrol reminds you that "Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving" and that the Patrol will continue to take a "zero-tolerance" approach to those who choose to not wear their seat belt or utilize child restraints.