1 killed, 1 injured in crash north of Pinedale
Jose D. Salazar, from Colorado, killed
June 28, 2010
Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) reports one person was killed and one injured in a one-vehicle roll-over accident which occurred around 5:32PM five miles north of Pinedale on Sunday, June 27th.
Valdemir Villarreal, 24, from Grand Junction, Colorado, was driving south-bound on Sublette County Road #154, the Fremont Lake Campground road. Jose D. Salazar, age 27, from Clifton, Colorado was a passenger in his vehicle.
Villarreal was traveling at an as-of-yet-unknown high rate of speed. He failed to negotiate a left-hand curve in the roadway and lost control of the vehicle as it neared the intersecting ‘Y’ with Bridger Teton U.S. Forest Service Road #111 (this is the intersection where the road splits to either go back to Pinedale or to Lakeside Lodge). The 1992 Toyota Camry he was driving went off the right side of the curve where it then rolled one time, coming to rest on USFS Road #111.
Salazar was trapped in the vehicle and died at the scene. Both driver and passenger were wearing their seatbelts.
Troopers are still investigating this crash and are attempting to determine how and why Villarreal left the scene of the crash. He was missing from the crash scene for approximately three hours and eventually turned himself in at the Sublette County Sheriff’s Department in Pinedale. Villarreal was flown by air ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Upon completion of the crash investigation all reports will be turned over to the Sublette County District Attorney’s Office. Upon their review of all the information they will make the final determination of the filing of any criminal charges.
Last year at this same time Wyoming’s fatal count was at 53.
For more information about this accident, contact Sergeant Stephen Townsend, Wyoming Highway Patrol, 307-777-4306.
Click on this link for a copy of the accident report.
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