According to the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP),  Bracken G. Erickson 18, of Afton, and Michael J. Stanek 19, of Jackson, were not wearing seat belts and were both ejected from the cab of their 2004 GMC 2500 pickup at a high rate of speed resulting in their deaths on Thursday Nov. 5.

According to the same report “The Erickson vehicle was eastbound on WYO 238 which was dry with clear weather conditions at the time.  As the driver was attempting to negotiate a left hand curve in the roadway the vehicle went off the roadway onto the right side shoulder where it struck a delineator post.  The driver then over corrected the vehicle’s steering to the left which caused the vehicle to go into a broadside slide as it went across both the eastbound and then the westbound lane of travel.  The vehicle went off the roadway on the left side going through the right-of-way fence before it rolled 1½ time.  The vehicle came to rest on its top in an irrigation ditch in approximately 3 to 4 feet of water.  During the rollover both Stanek and Erickson were totally ejected from the cab.  The airbags in the vehicle did deploy, however, neither occupant were wearing their seat belt. ”
The crash remains under investigation, however, Troopers believe excessive speed to safely negotiate the curve in the roadway is a contributing factor in this crash.

The WHP stated that the two fatalities marked the 110th and 111th deaths on the highways in Wyoming this year, compared to 134 at this same time last year.