Evanston JV Football Team Bus Involved In Fatal Crash

    At about 8:30 PM on September 18th, The Wyoming Highway Patrol Dispatch Center in Cheyenne received a report from a citizen of 2 dirt bikes traveling thru the town of Afton southbound on US 89 with no lights.  A Trooper was dispatched to this report, however, 11 minutes later the dispatch center received the report of the crash with one of the dirt bikes and a school bus. 

    The driver of the southbound school bus, Peggy K. Faddis age 51 of Evanston stated to Troopers that she did not see the unlit motorcycle until it was too late and she rear-ended the motorcycle.  Upon impact, the motorcycle became lodged under the right front of the school bus and Troy L. Turner of Afton was ejected from the motorcycle.  Turner came to rest in the barrow pit on the right side of the roadway and died at the scene.  Faddis was able to drive the school bus to a controlled final position on the right shoulder of the roadway. 

   The southbound lane of US 89 was closed temporarily for approximately 45 minutes while Troopers investigated the crash scene.  Traffic was re-routed onto a county road.

     The school bus was an activity bus from the Uinta school district transporting a freshman football team home to Evanston after a football game.  There were 22 students on the bus and 3 coaches. There were no injuries to any passengers on the school bus.  A school bus from the Star Valley school district was dispatched to the scene and transported the bus passengers to a local church in Afton.  The students were eventually transported via bus to Evanston. 

The driver of the second dirt bike was operating his motorcycle in the dirt barrow pit at the time of the crash and was not involved in the crash.  The unlit dirt bike is a contributing factor in this crash and alcohol use by Turner is also being investigated as a contributing factor pending toxicology results.