GILLETTE, Wyo. — A Rozet man has been identified as the single fatality in a commercial vehicle crash Thursday morning on Highway 50 south of Gillette, according to the Wyoming Highway Patrol.
Jason Tisdale, 39, died on Feb. 15 following a collision between two semi-tractor trailer units on Highway 50 after one, a northbound 2023 Freightliner, lost traction due to snow- and ice-covered roadways and jackknifed around 10:10 a.m. Feb. 15, the WHP said in a fatal crash summary report.
The 2023 Freightliner blocked the southbound lane and was struck by a southbound 2016 Freightliner as it crested a hill, impacting the newer vehicle’s passenger-side drive axles, per the WHP.
The impact forced the older vehicle’s cargo tank to dislodge and impact the cab, according to the WHP, which says both vehicle cabs were dislodged from their respective chassis and came to rest in the ditch.
Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts, and the other driver — who has not been identified as of Feb. 16 — sustained injuries as a result of the crash, per the WHP, which lists speed as a possible contributing factor.
The fatal crash summary released by the WHP does not indicate which vehicle Tisdale had been operating at the time of the crash.
Campbell County Coroner Paul Wallem told County 17 on Feb. 16 that Tisdale succumbed to his injuries immediately on the scene.
