LOVELL, Wyo. - Authorities have closed a Wyoming highway near Lovell after a semi-trailer crashed and nearly plunged off a cliff.
According to a social media post by the Big Horn County, Wyo., Sheriff's Office, US Highway 14A was closed Tuesday morning from about 22 miles east of Lovel to the Big Horn County/Sheridan County line due to the crash, which left a semi dangling precariously off the road over a steep cliff.
The sheriff's office said the driver was able to escape the wreckage safely with only minor injuries.
The crash was reported by the sheriff's office at 7:30 a.m. The highway will be closed for most of the day for recovery operations.
“We hope we can pull it up without it falling deep in the canyon. And there will be some extremely qualified personnel on site today with big machinery to pull that truck up, hopefully over the top of that retaining wall,” said Cody Beers, the public relations specialist of the northwest region for the Wyoming Department of Transportation. “It looks to be somewhat of a miracle that the driver is okay.”
WYDOT expects the road to be open by Tuesday evening.
"Please avoid the area and let towing and heavy haul operators work safely," the sheriff's office said. "As you can see from the pictures, it will be a very difficult operation."
According Beers, who drives the road often, a few incidents happen on the winding highway. Just last week, an RV burst into flames while driving on the stretch of road.
“The back end of the motor home just melted right on the side of the road from the intensity of that fire, all caused by people putting their foot on the brakes too much,” Beers said. “I spend time up there every year personally, and... I also get some white knuckles when I'm driving up and down that mountain sometimes.”
Beers recommends driving with caution if taking that highway.
“It's spectacular, but yet can lead to some problems,” he said.
Others who have driven Hwy 14A, such as Burt Alger, agree with Beers that it is beautiful, but can be dangerous.
“It's a sketchy, sketchy road,” Alger said.
Alger is a Minnesota resident but drives to Burgess Junction to visit family often.
“I'm a truck driver, too. And that would just scare the heck out of me bringing a truck down that and that stretch of road,” Alger said.
