April 13 crashes involved 54 vehicles

The Highway Patrol says a total of 54 vehicles were involved in the series of 10 crashes on April 13 that led to the closure of the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 between Laramie and Rawlins for approximately 18 hours.

Troopers investigating the crashes said speed too fast for the existing conditions was a contributing factor to the pileup about 7 miles east of Elk Mountain, where snowy, icy and windy conditions with limited visibility had resulted in the speed limit being reduced to 45 mph. 

Five crash victims were transported to area hospitals.