DECEMBER 17, 2024 |
Photo – WHP patch – Bigfoot99 file photo
A single vehicle crash occurred on Interstate 80 east of Elk Mountain this past Saturday, taking the life of one occupant and sending another to the hospital.
At approximately 10:00am on Saturday, December 14th, Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers were notified about a crash in the westbound lanes of I80, around milepost 242. After arriving on the scene, Troopers found that a tan and gold 2004 Ford F-150 was involved in a single vehicle rollover crash.
Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Ryan Gerdes told Bigfoot99 that 19-year-old Mario Dorazio and 56-year-old Rocco Dorazio, both from Idaho, were heading westbound in the left-hand lane of the Interstate. The younger Dorazio, who was driving at the time, drifted right across the highway, over the rumble strip and shoulder, and struck a post on the side of the road. Dorazio then corrected to the left, causing the Ford to veer back across the roadway and into the median. Once in the grass, the driver completely lost control, and the vehicle rolled, coming to a rest in the rightmost lane.
The elder Dorazio was wearing his seat belt at the time of the incident and was not ejected from the vehicle. However, he succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Mario Dorazio was transported to Carbon County Memorial Hospital via ground ambulance. The extent of the younger man’s injuries is unknown.
I80 was closed for approximately five hours while investigators and cleanup crews worked to clear the wreck.
Trooper Gerdes told Bigfoot99 that driver inattention and fatigue are being investigated as potential contributing factors. Charges are pending review by the Carbon County Attorney’s Office.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, Carbon County Fire and EMS, Wyoming Game and Fish Game, Bureau of Land Management law enforcement, and Hanna Town Marshall.
