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(Rawlins) Interstate 80 eleven miles east of Wamsutter is open after an early morning crash temporarily closed the westbound lanes of the Interstate.

One co-driver in a tractor trailer combination has been fatally injured. Two victims have been transported via ground ambulance to Carbon County Memorial Hospital in Rawlins. One has since been treated and released. The condition of the second individual is unknown at this time.

The crashes involved two groups of vehicles with a total of 12 vehicles in six different crashes.

The first series of three crashes were a group of 6 combination tractor trailer commercial vehicles. The first event which started this series of crashes occurred when the driver of a tractor trailer combination lost control of his vehicle on the icy roadway and his combination then jackknifed in the roadway. A second tractor trailer behind the jackknifed combination then slowed or was stopped when it was struck from behind by another tractor trailer combination. A total of six combination units became involved by running into the first jackknifed combination and the slowed or stopped combination.

Behind this first group were a group of three separate crashes that involved 6 additional vehicles. There were no injuries or fatalities in the second group of crashes.

Roadway conditions at the time of the crash were icy. There was fog at the time of the crash and visibility was 1/4 mile.

Troopers continue there investigation into these series of crashes. It appears that speed too fast for the existing conditions was a contributing factor.