Jonnie Merrill and Dawn Smith were close friends of Nick Bresabow. He died in a July 7 crash when a dump truck lost its brakes descending the nearby mountain pass.
The friends circled a Wyoming Highway Patrolman outside the Old Wilson Schoolhouse in early August, demanding answers.
“This is the richest county in not just the state but the country, so it falls on deaf ears when people start complaining about the cost to make things right,” Merill said.
“That truck came from my town,” Smith added. “Where is Idaho in this equation?”
Patrol Captain Marc Russell threw up his hands. “That’s a good question,” he said. “I don’t know.”
Friends of Nick Bresabow, one of the two victims of the July 7 crash on Teton Pass, press Wyoming Highway Patrol Captain Marc Russell for solutions outside the Old Wilson Schoolhouse on Aug. 3. “That truck came from my town,” Dawn Smith (center) said. “Where is Idaho in this equation?” (Evan Robinson-Johnson / KHOL)
A month after a six-vehicle collision on one of the steepest commuter highways in the lower 48, drivers don’t want to wait for government solutions.
They’re pitching a social media campaign and gathering data to educate drivers and officials. Nearly 200 showed up for a citizen-led town hall at the schoolhouse, where a photo collage of past crashes formed a timeline on the walls.
In a community rich in philanthropy, some don’t feel daunted by high price tags for potential solutions. “What would $100,000 dollars buy?” one resident asked Rep. Andrew Byron, a Hoback Republican. “What about a social media campaign, like #KeepJacksonWild?”
Similar messaging from Visit Jackson Hole, aims to protect habitat and wildlife. Residents want to know: Could a new campaign keep the highway safe?
Wilsonite and bike path pioneer Tim Young has already been in touch with state highway officials. He pitched the idea of applying for a Highway Safety Behavioral Grant.
“You could do a lot with that and get a creative marketing firm to really get these messages out to the public, not just the truck drivers. But the general public, the people driving these rental RVs, everybody, all of us,” he said.
The push for better mountain driving would follow efforts to stop drunk driving and encourage seat belt use.
Rebecca Green isn’t part of Teton Pass planning but told KHOL a unified messaging campaign can work. As the executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Wyoming, she helps families see themselves in the stories of victims.
“It’s not fast, it’s not overnight, and it’s not always welcomed, but that is the thing that has been most successful,” Green said.
Others are pushing for infrastructure and manpower: a second truck arrestor and staffing a weigh station to stop overweight trucks. Wyoming Highway Patrol is still finalizing its investigation into the early July crash.
More than 60 accidents occur on the pass each year, according to state data. But it’s impossible to pinpoint effective solutions without more info, said Idaho Falls commuter Maggie Morganti.
“We talk about brake failure and driver training and signage, but we don’t really have that data to say with any degree of certainty,” she said.
She’s pushing for highway patrol to release more information on each crash to a dedicated focus group.
“That is the only way that we are going to have sustainable, durable, long-term solutions,” she said.
Organizer Gary Kofinas addresses nearly 200 residents who packed the Old Wilson Schoolhouse to brainstorm safety solutions on Teton Pass. “How many more people will die before highway safety is improved?” he asked. (Evan Robinson-Johnson/KHOL)
Several speakers described their own close calls on the pass. Organizer Jared Smith said his visiting relatives failed to heed his warning about the treacherous route. A family member towing Smith’s parents’ trailer dutifully followed Google, not realizing there was an 8,000-plus foot mountain in the way. He lost his brakes on the descent and ended up calling Ron’s Towing.
“It happens all the time,” Smith said.
Byron, the state rep, has tried unsuccessfully for legislation to raise the fine for overweight trucks on Teton Pass. The current limit is 60,000 pounds. Sen. Mike Gierau, a Jackson Democrat, has said he plans to reintroduce a bill to strengthen enforcement.
During the schoolhouse meeting, Mike Fischer and his wife Belinda sat in the front row, wrapped in casts, holding hands.
“We got absolutely creamed,” Fischer said. “Didn’t see it coming.”
The crash on July 7 left the couple with 16 broken bones between them. They don’t remember anything from that day. One moment they were coming back from a successful biking trip, the next, they were waking up in the hospital.
“Jackson Hole used to be part of the Wild West and that, as we all know, ended a long time ago,” he told the crowded room. “But the Wild West, unfortunately, is alive and well in one place. And that place is Teton Pass. And that is beyond totally unacceptable.”
As the pair prepare to take legal action, officials and residents are proposing a suite of possible changes. Despite the fervor, Fischer worries that change is doubtful. He says the pass is already back to business as usual.
