Cheyenne Man Airlifted After Crash

A Cheyenne man was airlifted from the scene of a wreck yesterday afternoon near Laramie on WY 230.

Officials say a pickup driven by Robert Stobart, 65, from Laramie, was traveling westbound when he slowed his vehicle to make a right turn onto Osprey Road about eight miles west of Laramie. He was unaware that his turn signal was not working.

A 35-foot motor home with seven total people and driven by 66-year-old Garry Blanchard of Sylvania, Ohio was following the pickup. Blanchard failed to notice the front vehicle had slowed, and he swerved into the oncoming lane in an attempt avoid a collision.

At that time, 59-year-old Michael Caruso from Cheyenne was travelling eastbound in a black Dodge one-ton pickup. Caruso saw the motor home enter his lane, and he swerved toward the ditch in an attempt to avoid an accident. The motor home collided with the Dodge near the pickup’s driver side door, says Lieutenant Tom Pritchard of the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

This resulted in serious injury for Caruso, and he was airlifted from the scene to the Colorado Medical Center of the Rockies.

Lt. Pritchard says the occupants in the motor home were not wearing seat belts, which are not required for those not in the front seats. Blanchard and his passengers sustained minor cuts and bruises and were treated at Ivinson Memorial Hospital.

Investigating officer Trooper Rick Colling says the occupants of the RV were lucky to sustain only minor injuries, because they were thrown around within the RV.

“It’s not uncommon for the people that are in these things not to be buckled in, but it could have been absolutely devastating in this case.”

Stobart was not injured in the crash.

Blachard was cited for careless driving and Stobart was cited for failing to signal a turn and not having an operating signal.