Spud Truck Was Heavy

More information about Monday evening’s crash of a tractor trailer loaded with potatoes at the foot of Teton Pass has become available. The truck slammed into the WYDOT sand pit west of Wilson after the vehicle lost its brakes. Lt. Matt Brackin of the Wyoming Highway Patrol says the event is still under investigation, but initial evidence is that the truck was carrying more than 60-thousand pounds which is the weight restriction on the pass. The truck was coming out of Sugar City, Idaho and driven by 31-year-old Jackson Altema of Tennessee. When the truck hit the sand pile, Lt. Brackin says the load shifted forward, knocking the cab off of its frame and propelling it into the ravine behind the pit – along with tons of potatoes. Altema was admitted to St. John’s Medical Center where he is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Jackson Hole Radio