TUESDAY, July 14, 2026|
Photo – Wyoming Highway Patrol patch – Courtesy Wyoming Highway Patrol
An Arizona woman was killed when her pickup truck overturned on Interstate 80.
Around 1:30 p.m. on July 8th, 56‑year‑old Dawn Forteville of Kingman, Arizona, was involved in a single‑vehicle crash on I‑80. Wyoming Highway Patrol Senior Public Relations Specialist Aaron Brown explained the situation.
During the rollover, Forteville was partially ejected from the truck and died at the scene. Highway Patrol troopers determined she was “not properly using her seatbelt at the time of the crash.” Brown said that may mean she was not using the shoulder strap, which likely contributed to her being thrown partway out of the truck. He said improper seatbelt use, or not using one at all, makes rollover crashes especially deadly.
Troopers determined that driver fatigue may have played a role in the crash. Brown said Wyoming’s highways, especially Interstate 80, can be long and featureless, increasing driver fatigue. He recommended taking breaks to remain alert.
Forteville’s death marked the 60th fatality on Wyoming’s highways so far this year. That number is up from 59 deaths in 2025 and 53 in 2024. When asked why road fatalities are increasing, Brown said the cause is unclear, adding that heavier summertime traffic leads to more crashes.
According to Wyoming Highway Patrol’s Fatality Crash Summary website, the majority of deaths on the state’s roadways involved high speed or driver inattention, often both. The site lists 505 deaths since 2022, with 176 attributed to excessive speed and 133 to drivers not paying attention. Driver fatigue was the third leading cause of fatal crashes, with 81 incidents since 2022.
Most crashes occur in June, July, and August in clear, dry weather. Brown said winter is often assumed to be the deadliest time to drive in Wyoming, but the statistics show that heavier summer traffic is more dangerous.
In addition, not wearing a seatbelt makes drivers almost twice as likely to die, with 246 unrestrained drivers killed since 2022 compared to 146 who were buckled in.
Wyoming Highway Patrol’s Citizen Connect website, which tracks all highway activity, shows a July 11th fatality on Highway 130 just north of the Snowy Range Road intersection. As of this report, that crash has not been added to the Fatality Crash Summary webpage, and no further details have been released.
Wyoming Highway Patrol Senior Public Relations Specialist Aaron Brown encouraged drivers to always wear their seatbelts, and to wear helmets if they are riding a motorcycle.
