Ian Vilkama Death – A 21-year-old resident of Wheaton, Illinois has died following a deadly ATV accident that happened on Friday. The victim has been identified as Ian Vilkama. According to reports, Ian Vilkama passed away from injuries sustained in the crash. On Friday, July 14th, 2023, at 11:01 hours, the Park County Communications Division (Dispatch) received a 911 call regarding an incident involving an ATV in a field at 3461 Hwy 14-16-20 W.
The report indicated that a serious injury had occurred. Additional details revealed that a lone male had been thrown from a side-by-side ATV, which subsequently rolled over onto his head and chest, resulting in fatal crush injuries. Promptly, bystanders removed the ATV from on top of the victim and initiated CPR immediately.
He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident. The Cody Regional Health EMS, Cody Fire Department, Park County Sheriff’s Office, and Wyoming Highway Patrol were dispatched to the scene. Upon their arrival, the law enforcement, emergency medical services, and fire department personnel continued their resuscitation efforts. Regrettably, despite their best efforts, Ian Vilkama succumbed to his injuries. The Park County Coroner, Cody Gortmaker, determined the cause of death to be massive head trauma.
Related story: 2 Arkansas high school students among 5 friends died on Wyoming highway
In south-central Wyoming, a devastating series of crashes caused by a driver traveling in the wrong direction on Interstate 80 resulted in the loss of five lives. Among the victims were two high school students from Arkansas, as well as three recent graduates from the same school. Numerous others sustained serious injuries in the incident. According to a statement from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the driver has been arrested on suspicion of impaired driving.
Prior to the collision, Highway Patrol troopers were alerted to a Dodge Ram traveling east in the westbound lanes. Shortly thereafter, the pickup truck collided with a passenger car and a commercial truck near Sinclair on Sunday night. In an attempt to avoid the wreckage, the driver of another commercial truck veered onto the median.
Tragically, the second commercial truck crossed the highway and collided head-on with an eastbound Ford F-150 pickup truck, resulting in both vehicles becoming engulfed in flames. All five individuals inside the Ford pickup lost their lives in this second crash, while others sustained critical injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals.
The statement from the highway patrol did not disclose the number of individuals injured or provide any identifying information, including that of the alleged wrong-way driver. However, the Pulaski County Special School District confirmed the identities of the crash victims, who were identified as Suzy Prime and Ava Grace Luplow, seniors at Sylvan Hills High School, along with recent graduates Andrea Prime, Salomon Correa, and Maggie Franco.
The school district has announced that counseling services will be made available to students and staff affected by this tragic incident. According to the Faith Bible Fellowship Church, as reported by the Kansas City Star, the five friends had just concluded a week-long visit to Jackson Hole Bible College in Wyoming when the tragic incident occurred. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette provided information that the victims’ ages ranged from 18 to 23.
This crash, unfortunately, adds to the growing number of fatalities on Wyoming’s roadways in 2023. The state highway patrol revealed that it was the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th fatalities recorded this year, a significant increase compared to a single fatality in 2022, eight in 2021, and three in 2020. Situated approximately 140 miles west of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and 300 miles east of Salt Lake City, Sinclair serves as the location where the tragic incident took place.
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