2 People Are Killed and 4 Others Injured After Brake Failure Sends a Dump Truck Into 6 Vehicles on Teton Pass in Wyoming

JACKSON, WY — A witness driving home over Teton Pass said he narrowly avoided being caught in a fatal Tuesday crash after traffic slowed behind a dump truck hauling asphalt. Moments later, the truck lost its brakes on the east side of WY 22 and hit six vehicles.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol said two people were killed and four others were injured in the wreck near milepost 6.8.

What the witness saw before the impact

Dumitru Cebotari said he was following the truck after dropping passengers in Victor, Idaho, when he noticed it accelerating hard on the steep descent. He said motorcycles passed because traffic was moving slowly, and a camper pulled to the shoulder near the summit.

Cebotari said he saw smoke pouring from the truck’s tires and believed it was moving much too fast. He stayed several seconds behind it, then rounded the next curve to find the crash already underway.

How the crash unfolded

In its preliminary summary, the Highway Patrol said the dump truck first rear-ended a Triumph motorcycle, sending the rider sliding across the highway. It then struck a Chevrolet Silverado, which was pushed into a Ford F-150.

According to investigators, the Ford overturned and hit an electronic message sign. The dump truck kept going, hit a guardrail, rolled onto its driver’s side and slid across both lanes before sideswiping a Chevrolet Equinox and striking a Subaru Outback.

The victims and the survivors

The people killed were identified as Nicholas Besobrasow, 66, of Tetonia, Idaho, and David Page, 57, of Mammoth Lakes, California. Besobrasow founded Alupka Asset Management in Driggs, Idaho, and Page was executive director of the Winter Wildlands Alliance in Boise, Idaho.

Motorcyclist Caleb Rodriguez said on social media that he was hit from behind while nearing the end of his ride from Austin, Texas, to Jackson. He said he suffered a dislocated shoulder and a broken foot but credited his gear with saving his life.

What investigators are still reviewing

The truck was owned by Avail Valley Construction-ID, LLC, of Victor, Idaho. The Highway Patrol said preliminary evidence points to brake failure as the truck descended the mountain pass, but investigators are still examining the vehicle and other evidence.

Authorities have not said whether citations or criminal charges will be filed. Cebotari said he later called his wife and told her, “I’m happy to be alive,” while still shaken by what he saw.

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