Pickup takes an early morning dip

WORLAND - Everyone always jokes about how Mondays are always the worst day of the week, but this Monday was no Joke to Michael Bost, 29, from Powell, who allegedly fell asleep at the wheel this morning only to wake up and find himself and his 2012 Dodge Ram, Bar T. Electric company truck in the Big Horn River.

According to Worland Police Captain Zack Newton, Bost, who was southbound on U.S. 20, fell asleep at the wheel just before the new river bridge, went down the embankment, through a barbed wire fence and landed in the Big Horn River at approximately 8:28 a.m. "Witnesses at the scene stated they were traveling behind Bost's vehicle when they observed the pickup drift to the right and off the roadway before the guardrail on the bridge. They said the pickup continued through a barbed wire fence and into the river without any signs of slowing down," Newton said.

Newton further explained that there were no skid marks documented at the scene which suggests that the driver didn't attempt to stop at any point after leaving the roadway or correct the trajectory of the vehicle. Bost's estimated speed was between 30-40 mph at the point he left the roadway.

The Worland Police Department, Wyoming Highway Patrol and Washakie County Sheriff's Office responded to the call and Sheriff Steve Rakness waded out to the truck and assisted the driver back to the riverbank to be tended by the Washakie County Ambulance Crew.

Bost was transported to the Washakie Medical Center by ambulance and treated for minor injuries, according to Newton.

The truck, which is estimated to be a total loss, was retrieved from the river by Washakie Garage.

"Bost was wearing his seatbelt, which in my opinion, saved him from serious bodily injury given the extent of damage to the vehicle. Fortunately, the water level was only a few feet in that specific area or else Bost would've been in much more danger," Newton stated.