FATAL CRASH NEAR UPTON, WYOMING

Press Release – An Upton man died following a one-vehicle rollover at 6:54 p.m. on Friday, April 27 on US 116 southbound near Upton in Weston County. Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers were dispatched to the area for the one-vehicle rollover.

Jonathan Bayert, 61, died after he was ejected from his 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck. Bayert was not wearing his seat belt.

The crash occurred as Bayert was traveling in his Dodge southbound and failed to negotiate a right-hand curve in the road. The Dodge crossed the northbound lane and existed the highway.

Bayert then overcorrected his steering to the right, causing the Dodge to re-enter the paved portion of the road. However, Bayert then overcorrected his steering to the left, causing the Dodge to enter a counter clockwise rotation.

The Dodge entered the northbound borrow ditch, went into a broadside slide, rolled two times and came to a rest on its wheels. Bayert was ejected during the roll.

Troopers are investigating driver inattention as a contributing factor in the crash.

This is the 24th fatality on Wyoming’s highways in 2018 compared to 33 in 2017, 14 in 2016, and 37 in 2015 to date.