Two Killed In Two Separate Wrecks Southwest Of Buffalo

Two people have died in separate wrecks 10 days apart from each other on US Highway 16 southwest of Buffalo.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol says at about midnight on August 27th, 63-year old Gerald Meerkatz of Montana was eastbound on US Highway 16 on his 2018 Harley Davidson motorcycle about 2 miles east of the Powder River Pass, when he crossed the centerline, during a right hand curve in the road. 

The motorcycle started to wobble, and then slid into a gravel shoulder.

Meerkatz was wearing a helmet at the time, but died as a result of injuries he sustained in the crash.

Speed is being investigated as a contributed factor.

Then this past Sunday (September 5th) at around 10:15am, there was a motorcycle vs. vehicle head-on collision on US Highway 16 just north of Pole Creek.

The Patrol says 60 year old Thomas Hammell of Wyoming was riding his motorcycle westbound on 16, when he crossed the centerline during a sharp right hand curve, and collided head-on with a vehicle going in the opposite direction.

Hammell was not wearing a helmet and died at the scene.

Speed is being investigated as a contributing factor in that collision scene as well.