Details of Wednesday’s deadly crashes that caused a pile-up on Interstate 80 in Wyoming are trickling in from authorities.
Some of those details, including the identities of the deceased were released Friday afternoon.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) said it is continuing its investigation into the deadly I-80 pileup that occurred February 18 east of Evanston. As the investigation continues, the WHP is releasing the initial findings on the two fatalities that resulted from this tragic incident.
WHP said at approximately 3:00 p.m. on February 18, there were multiple crashes along I-80 surrounding mile marker 18. In the Westbound lanes, a Chevy Silverado was nearly stopped in the left lane due to a crash ahead. The driver unbuckled his seatbelt, preparing to leave the vehicle in order to find a place to safely pull over because of visibility issues. Meanwhile a Kenworth combination unit was also westbound in the left lane.
The Kenworth, which WHP stated was traveling too fast for the conditions, lost control and collided with the guardrail. This resulted in the Kenworth jackknifing while continuing to slide. The Kenworth collided with the Silverado, causing the pickup to move from the left lane into the right.
A Freightliner combination unit was in the right lane when the Silverado was unexpectedly pushed in front of it. The Freightliner collided with the Silverado, ejecting the pick up’s driver.
The driver of the Silverado, identified as John Lengyel. 74, of Grafton, Ohio, died at the scene. His passenger, Sharon Lengyel, 73, also of Grafton, was not injured. The driver of the Kenworth was also injured, and was transported to Evanston Regional Hospital where they were treated and released. The driver of the Freightliner was not injured.
Speed is being considered a primary factor in this crash.
Around an hour and a half later, at approximately 4:36 p.m., the second fatal crash took place in the Westbound lanes at mile marker 19. A Peterbilt combination unit was slowing down due to poor visibility and crashes ahead. As the Peterbilt slowed down, a Toyota Sienna following behind attempted to slow down as well but slid on the snowy roadway, impacting the Peterbilt’s trailer.
A passenger in the Sienna, identified as Bonnie Lawton, 72, of Winnemucca, Nev., died at the scene. Two passengers in the Sienna were injured in the crash and were taken by ambulance to Evanston Regional Hospital. The Sienna’s driver was not injured. The driver of the Peterbilt was also not injured. It was found over the course of the investigation that Bonnie Lawton was not wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash.
In this second crash speed and driver inattention are being considered primary factors.
The investigations into these crashes, and the pileup as a whole, are still active and any charges are pending.
“In both of these tragic crashes, speed combined with winter weather conditions to create an incredibly dangerous and deadly situation,” WHP stated. “The WHP asks all commercial and public drivers to please slow down during inclement weather, drive accordingly for conditions, and always buckle up.”
These crashes bring the number of deaths on Wyoming roadways in 2026 to 18. This is compared to 12 in 2025 and 9 in 2024.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
