3 Dead After Semis Collide on I-80 East of Cheyenne

UPDATE:

The Wyoming Highway Patrol has released more information regarding last month's fiery crash on Interstate 80 east of Cheyenne that resulted in the death of three people.

The crash happened around 1:20 a.m. on June 17 near milepost 383, about three miles west of the Burns and Carpenter exit.

According to a crash summary, a semi was headed east when, possibly due to severe wind, it overturned onto the driver's side and was struck near the rear tandem wheels by a semi that was following it.

Both semis, one empty and the other hauling general freight, immediately became engulfed in flames, killing both drivers and a passenger.

The patrol says 59-year-old David Poe and 67-year-old Patricia Poe, both of Texas, and 61-year-old Scott Peat, of Pennsylvania, were associated with the semis at the time of the crash, but the Laramie County Coroner is waiting on DNA test results to come back before positively confirming their identities.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Three people are dead following a fiery crash on Interstate 80 east of Cheyenne early Friday morning, the Wyoming Highway Patrol says.

Sgt. Jeremy Beck says the crash happened sometime after 1 a.m. in the eastbound lanes near milepost 383, about three miles west of the Burns and Carpenter exit.

"It looks like possibly maybe the one semi blew over or a strong gust of wind hit him and maybe he overcorrected the semi, anyhow he laid it on its side, and then another semi ran into that one," said Beck.

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Beck says both semis, one empty and the other hauling general freight, immediately became engulfed in flames.

"I was just talking to the coroner and she said (due to the fire) it's probably going to be a while for them to positively identify everyone," said Beck.

"It's quite a large scene," he added. "The fire department is out there trying to help the coroner go through all of the debris as well."

Beck says the westbound lanes are back open again, but the eastbound lanes between exit 370 and exit 386 will probably remain closed for most of the day.

"If you're headed out towards Nebraska from Cheyenne be prepared for delays or stopped traffic," said Beck.

"They're being detoured off there at the 370 by Archer and onto the service road, so traffic is still making its way around the crash, it's just that it's a slow process," he added.