Details emerge on accident last week on North Fork
CODY (WNE) β On Wednesday, August 12, vehicles traveling on the North Fork Highway were met with sign holders who had arrived around 9:20 a.m., directing them to divert to Stagecoach Trail to continue down the North Fork. There had been an accident β one so severe that the stretch of highway would not reopen till 2:50 p.m.
The WHP confirmed one fatality on Monday β Terry Zaske, 48, of Box Elder, S.D., who died at the scene. Zaske was not wearing a helmet.
At 8:36 that morning, the call to the Wyoming Highway Patrol came in, alerting them to a multi-vehicle accident that had occurred involving four motorcycles, a Ford pickup truck and a WYDOT vehicle.
Zaske, along with three other motorcycles, was heading westbound when an eastbound 2019 Ford F-250, either due to inattention or fatigue, crossed over into the opposite lane, striking Zaske and another driver, dislodging them from their vehicles, according to WHP.Β
The two following motorcycles struck the motorcycles that were lying on the road, dislodging the riders as well. The WYDOT driver of a 2023 Chevy Silverado saw the oncoming Ford pickup and exited the road to the right, attempting to avoid a collision.
The Ford, which had lost its front driverβs side wheel, exited the road and struck the rear driverβs side of the WYDOT truck, coming to a stop in a field.
The WYDOT driver and the three passengers traveling in the Ford pickup were uninjured.
But one of the motorcycle riders was airlifted to Billings for emergency medical care. A second rider was transported by ambulance to Cody Regional Health before being airlifted to Billings and hospitalized there.
A rider and passenger from another motorcycle were taken by ambulance to CRH, where they were treated and released.
This story was published on August 17, 2026.
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