CODY, WY — Motorcycle crashes on Beartooth Highway and Chief Joseph Scenic Highway have reached a level Wyoming Highway Patrol says is causing concern, after a rider died Thursday on U.S. 212. That death was the seventh motorcycle crash on the two northwest Wyoming highways this year, and officials said all seven happened in July. Patrol spokesman Aaron Brown said the pace already matches the worst year on record for the routes. He also said troopers are hearing of additional wrecks reported by other agencies in Wyoming and Montana this summer.
Crash Pattern Emerges
Brown said the patrol’s formal count is only part of the picture. He said troopers have been told about other motorcycle incidents that were handled by nearby agencies, and that the total could be closer to 18 crashes so far this year if those reports are confirmed. If that estimate holds, Brown said it would exceed the number of motorcycle crashes on U.S. 212 from 2021 through 2025 combined. The stretch of highway has therefore become a focus for troopers who see a growing concentration of serious incidents during the summer riding season.
Brown said the pattern suggests this is not an isolated problem tied to one wreck. Instead, it points to a broader run of crashes on the scenic mountain roads that draw riders from around the region and beyond. The official yearly totals will not be fully known until reports are compiled later, but the summer trend is already standing out to law enforcement.
Thursday Fatal Crash
The fatal crash Thursday occurred near mile marker 21 on U.S. 212, between the Top of the World Store and Island Lake Campground. Multiple agencies responded, including the Wyoming Highway Patrol, First Flight of Wyoming and Red Lodge Fire Rescue. Brown said the investigation is still open, and troopers do not yet have a final determination on what caused the wreck. Preliminary information, he said, points to two possible explanations: a medical emergency or operator inattention.
Brown emphasized that the fatality did not happen on one of the road’s sharp hairpin turns. Instead, it was on a soft curve in a scenic area, which is why investigators are still waiting for the official report before drawing conclusions. For now, the focus remains on gathering facts from the scene and from the responding agencies.
Why Riders Crash
Troopers who have spoken with injured riders on U.S. 212 and WY 296 have heard similar accounts of how many crashes unfold. Brown said riders often approach a tight curve while tracking the fog line on the outside edge of the road, then come into the turn too fast. When they try to correct, they can oversteer and leave the pavement, especially where there is little or no shoulder.
That sequence explains many of the crashes on the two highways, Brown said, though it does not account for Thursday’s fatality. He also said the scenic setting itself may contribute to the problem. Riders can be distracted by the view, by wildlife or by weather, and motorcycles leave less room for error than passenger vehicles. On roads with sharp curves and limited recovery space, that can quickly turn a mistake into a crash.
Sturgis Travel Warning
Law enforcement expects heavy motorcycle traffic to build as the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally begins Aug. 7 in South Dakota. Brown said thousands of riders will be traveling to and from the rally, and many of them use the Beartooth and Chief Joseph highways as part of their route. While the patrol is not specifically predicting a surge in fatal wrecks, officials want both visitors and locals to be alert as traffic increases across the region.
Brown also pointed to another motorcycle fatality reported in Casper on the same day, where police said a 20-year-old resident died after a single-vehicle crash near King Boulevard and West 13th Street. The cause of that crash is under investigation. Brown’s message for drivers is simple: watch for riders, reduce distractions and give motorcycles room. For riders, he said the safest approach is to ride within their skills, slow down and wear a helmet.
