CHEYENNE — A three vehicle crash resulting in three fatalities occurred on November 8th at 2:56 p.m. approximately one mile east of Cheyenne at mile post 363.25 on Interstate 80.

A 2011 Freightliner tractor-trailer combination unit was traveling west on I 80. The Freightliner was driven by 55 year old Brian D. Kehler of Alpine, Utah. While traveling west, the Freightliner entered the median, struck the cable barrier in the median, entered the eastbound lanes of travel and collided with an eastbound 2005 Chevrolet Venture driven by 42 year old Aaron Richard of Cascade, Iowa. The Freightliner continued west in the eastbound lanes of travel and collided with an eastbound 2013 Dodge Caravan driven by 44 year old James Ednie of Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Freightliner and Caravan came to rest in the eastbound lanes locked together from the partial head-on crash.

Mr. Ednie and his front seat passenger, 41 year old Tanya Gooden, also of Cheyenne, sustained fatal injuries from the crash. Both Mr. Ednie and Tanya Gooden were buckled in at the time of the crash. 23 year old Cameron Gooden was seated in his wheelchair in the backseat area of the Caravan driven by Mr. Ednie. Cameron Gooden was transported by air ambulance to a medical facility in Denver, Colorado where he  succumbed to his injuries the next morning on November 09th.

Mr. Richard, driver of the Chevy Venture, was transported by ground ambulance to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center (CRMC) where he was treated and released. Mr. Kehler, driver of the Freightliner, and his passenger, 51 year old Steven Marks of St George, Utah, were both transported by ground ambulance to CRMC and were treated and released. Mr. Richard and Mr. Kehler were both buckled in at the time of the crash. Mr. Marks was in the sleeper berth of the Freightliner at the time of the crash.

Mechanical failure experienced by the Freightliner is being investigated at this time as the contributing factor in this crash. The investigation will be turned over to the Laramie County District Attorney’s office for review for any charges to be filed. This crash did cause eastbound Interstate 80 to be closed for approximately five plus hours with traffic being detoured around the crash scene with the assistance of the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Ednie, Tanya Gooden and Cameron Gooden marked the 130th, 131st and 132nd fatalities on Wyoming highways for 2014.

-From a press release