A crash west of Newcastle on Wednesday morning resulted in the death of a 60-year-old Newcastle resident.
According to a release from Wyoming Highway Patrol, Gilbert R. Maestas died as the result of a crash that occurred at about 6:20 a.m. Wednesday on Wyoming State Highway 450, approximately 32 miles west of Newcastle.
Maestas was a rear seat passenger in an SUV that was driven by 49 year old Allen Holland, also from Newcastle, according to WHP. Two other passengers were also in the SUV at the time of the crash.
The SUV lost traction on an ice covered section of the road and began to fishtail, leaving the highway into the ditch and rolling.
Maestas was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash and remained in the cab of the SUV during the rollover. He was taken by ground ambulance to Weston County Hospital in Newcastle where he died as a result of his injuries.
Holland, who was buckled in, and the other two occupants of the SUV were transported by ground ambulance to Weston County Hospital for their injuries. The other two passengers were identified as 32-year-old Mark Gladue, whose seat belt was in use, and 56-year-old Sandra Duclo, whose seat belt was not in use. Both Gladue and Duclo are also from Newcastle.
Road conditions (black ice), use of cruise control on poor road conditions and lack of seat belt use are all being investigated as contributing factors in this crash.
Maestas marked the eighth highway fatality in Wyoming for 2016. There were 12 fatalities during this same time period in 2015.