Rudi M. Haskins

34 years of age, of Laramie, WY

According to Wyoming Highway Patrol, around 7:51 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, 2019, a fatal crash occurred near milepost 305 on Interstate 80 west of Laramie…

A 2002 Honda Civic was traveling eastbound on Interstate 80 when the vehicle exited the left side of the roadway. The driver corrected to the right and entered the borrow ditch on the south side of the road before overturning.

The driver of the Honda has been identified as 34-year-old Laramie, Wyoming resident Rudi M. Haskins.  Mr. Haskins was not wearing his seatbelt and succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the crash…

This is the 131st fatality on Wyoming’s roadways in 2019 compared to 95 in 2018, 113 in 2017, and 96 in 2016 to date.

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Road Safety USA comment:

In addition to the various aspects Wyoming Highway Patrol will undoubtedly investigate, such as the possibility of alcohol involvement or distracted driving, this incident sounds as though it could be a classic case of ‘drowsy driving’ — the one that’s almost always impossible to prove or disprove.

We are always wary about the accuracy of estimates regarding the prevalence of drowsy driving in serious or fatal crashes, but as a retired traffic patrol police officer myself, I believe that it is far more common than most people imagine.  [EW]