Seat belt use credited for saving woman's life

On Saturday, June 27 at approximately 5:30 p.m., Amanda Hicks, of Worland, lost control of her vehicle at milepost 145 on US 20 (two miles north of Kirby). The vehicle Hicks was driving rolled over at least two times and came to rest on its passenger's side blocking both lanes of travel. 

Hicks had left Thermopolis earlier with her two dogs. She had came to get ice cream and was headed back home to Worland.

She had her seat belt on and was going about 70 mph which was the legal speed limit. Something caused her vehicle to swerve. She over-corrected and swerved to the right and saw herself going into the shoulder. She again over-corrected, which forced her vehicle to come back onto the roadway on the northbound lane. Then she realized she was going to cross over into the southbound lane and over-corrected again back to her lane. At that point the vehicle tipped and began to roll. 

She had a toolbox in the back of her Toyota Tacoma and a kayak on top with a rack. The toolbox started opening up and moving because it was breezy out and that contributed to her vehicle going to the right. But it took her by surprise. 

State Trooper for Wyoming Highway Patrol, Regina Schulmeister, who investigated the crash said, "That's why we need to drive with both hands and pay attention. She had a seat belt on and she remained in the vehicle. The airbags deployed, so did the side curtains, however, her two dogs Rory and Kyra were ejected."

Kyra is a one-year-old German Shepherd and is in the photo on page 1 being held by a passerby. Kyra suffered a punctured lung. Five-year-old Rory also got ejected and the passersby stated she got scared when they tried to approach her and ran away.  

Schulmeister explained, "Amanda is single and these dogs are her kids." 

Schulmeister reports that she worked the crash and took pictures. She made measurements and worked with members of the Thermopolis Fire Department. They left some clothes on the fence to attract Rory, the missing dog.

Schulmeister then went to Hot Springs Health where Hicks had been transported. According to Schulmeister, Hicks was more worried about her dogs than for herself and she was feeling guilty and embarrassed about the crash. 

Schulmeister told her "I will take care of the dogs because I am an animal lover." 

She went and got food and clothes for Hicks and dropped them off at the hospital. Schulmeister went back to Kirby and set out food in two different places for the missing dog. She was unable to find Rory. 

Kyra, the dog with the punctured lung, was taken to Tharp Veterinarian Clinic in Worland. They put her on a ventilator and kept her overnight. By the second day, she was breathing on her own. 

Trooper Schulmeister was thinking what else can they do? She asked Hot Springs County Sheriff Jerimie Kraushaar for a favor and he put out a notice on Facebook about Rory missing. Within minutes the notice was shared 120 times all over the county. 

Schulmeister went back to the scene looking for Rory and found other people also looking for Rory. 

The next day Hicks was released from the hospital with only minor injuries and she and her mother Kay Hicks went home to Worland. They couldn't sleep. They were worried about Rory. At 4 a.m. they decided, "We can't sleep, so we will go look for Rory." 

They drove around and looked down a couple of country roads. They went into Kirby and on the first block they saw a dog with its ears down, looking scared sitting next to a car. As soon as the dog heard their voices she perked up. They found Rory. After a close examination, Amanda didn't find any injuries. 

Trooper Schulmeister said she knows it's a miracle. 

Schulmeister wants to tell the public, "If you ask me, seat belts save lives. Definitely this week proved that."

Increase in traffic

Schulmeister noticed there has been a lot of traffic after the quarantine restrictions were partially lifted. She said people are trying to get out and about more.

She said, "I want to emphasize that people need to wear their seat belts. You could be the best driver in the world but you and your life depend upon what other people are doing."

There were three other major wrecks in the area this past week. One was in Wind River Canyon Thursday, June 18 and the driver was cited for alleged driving while under the influence of alcohol and failing to maintain a single lane of travel.

Another was June 19 west of Ten Sleep where a commercial vehicle passed by a bicyclist and traveled into the oncoming lane of a Honda CRV containing two young boys 19 and 20 years old coming from the Fish Hatchery around a blind curve.

The Honda driver tried to move away and went into the shoulder and over-corrected to come back onto the highway and lost control, crossed both lanes of travel and the vehicle rolled. The 19-year-old was ejected and flew 80 feet, missed an electrical pole by two feet and landed in some bushes. He was life-flighted to Billings with a badly broken leg. The 20-year-old male, who was still in the vehicle with his seat belt on, suffered only minor injuries. 

There was a fourth wreck south of Worland on June 26 where an alleged drunk driver was speeding and rear-ended a car.

For the coming Independence Day weekend, Trooper Schulmeister said, "If you think you're going to be drinking, even if it's just one glass of wine or a glass of beer, just plan on someone else driving.

"Wear your seat belt at all times when you are in a vehicle and if you see somebody doing something strange, call 911 and report it."

Ask Trooper Schulmeister if seat belts save lives and she will recount this past week where she investigated four injury crashes. "Occupants wearing seat belts are already at home healing up and the ones not wearing them are still hospitalized."