Three fatalities have been confirmed in the crash on interstate 80 Wednesday. All three fatalities were the occupants traveling in a mid-sized SUV. David Knotts, a 45 year old resident of Jenison, Michigan, was driving the vehicle.

John Jackson, a 64 year old resident of Leasburg, Missouri was driving a tractor-trailer. Mr. Jackson was slowed/stopped in traffic on Interstate 80 eastbound after completing a difficult oversized vehicle turn north from Wyoming State Highway 214 to Wyoming State Highway 213. Two members of the Wyoming Highway Patrol were helping with the maneuver.

Mr. Knotts was traveling east at highway speed, and came upon the slowed/stopped truck and trailer, failed to stop within a safe distance and crashed into the back of the commercial trailer.

Mr. Knotts and two children in the SUV, ages nine and six, all died at the scene. All three were properly belted in the vehicle. Mr. Jackson and his passenger, 56 year old Brenda Jackson, were not hurt in the crash.

After emergency responders were on scene, a fire did ignite in the engine compartment area of the SUV. As fire personnel were already on scene, it was extinguished quickly. The crash did cause eastbound traffic to detour at exit 377 onto a service road around the crash scene that linked back onto I 80 at mile post 386. The detour was removed and eastbound lanes reopened at 10:56 p.m.

Mr. Knotts and the two children are the 59th, 60th and 61st highway fatalities in Wyoming for 2015. There were 60 fatalities during this same time period in 2014.

 

 

More From 104.7 KISS-FM