A Utah woman was killed last week in a head-on collision near Kemmerer, and several others were hospitalized from the incident.

On Wednesday, July 14, a fatal crash occurred around milepost 43 on U.S. Hwy 30, west of Kemmerer. At 2:05 p.m., Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers were notified of a motor vehicle collision.

A 2008 Mazda CX-9 was traveling west on U.S. 30. The driver attempted to pass a semi-truck and failed to see a 2008 Toyota Sienna traveling eastbound. The drivers of both vehicles tried to avoid a collision by moving onto the roadway’s shoulder but collided head-on.

The driver of the Mazda has been identified as 55-year-old West Jordan, Utah, resident Wendy W. Stapel. Stapel was wearing a seatbelt and was transported to South Lincoln Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries from the crash.  The passengers in the Mazda have been identified as 27-year-old Kearns, Utah, resident Ashlee Johnson, and three juvenile passengers. All were properly restrained and transported to South Lincoln Medical Center for injuries sustained in the crash.

The driver of the Toyota has been identified as 39-year-old Richmond, Utah, resident Trevor Jackson.  Jackson was wearing a seatbelt and was transported by helicopter to the University of Utah for injuries sustained in the crash.  The passengers in the Toyota have been identified as 37-year-old Richmond, Utah, resident Seantae Jackson,  37-year-old Salt Lake City resident Melissa Zelig, and two juvenile passengers. Some passengers were flown to the University of Utah; others were transported by ground ambulance to South Lincoln Medical Center for injuries sustained in the crash.   

Driver inattention on the part of Stapel is being investigated as a potential contributing factor.

This is the 51st fatality on Wyoming’s roadways in 2021 compared to 53 in 2020, 92 in 2019, and 54 in 2018 to date.