February 24, 2022 |
A head-on collision last week on Wyoming 230 outside of Riverside claimed the life of long-time valley resident, Reggie Thornburg. A preliminary crash report from the Wyoming Highway Patrol states conditions were icy with blowing snow and limited visibility. Thornburg, wearing a seat belt, died of injuries he sustained after the pickup he was driving fishtailed on the ice near mile marker 110 and collided with an oncoming SUV.
The 61-year-old Thornburg was a nephew of Alden Condict. He grew up on the family ranch at the south end of the Platte Valley, but held a foothold outside Wyoming. Another part of his family operated a plastics company in Colorado, and Thornburg was fortunate enough to travel to different parts of the world. He began writing about those experiences and had published at least two novels over the last decade.
Thornburg was also known for his car collection. This writer, a transplant to the Platte Valley, benefited from Thornburg’s knowledge of county history and his willingness to share stories, ranging from how the early irrigation ditches were hand dug by early ranchers to the infamous shooting of two Game and Fish Wardens in the Sierra Madres.
Bigfoot 99 reached out to the Wyoming Highway Patrol for more information, but our call was not returned.
A memorial service for Reginald Jack Thornburg will be held at a later date and will be announced.
