Wyoming Briefs Aug. 17 2023

CFD suit dismissed after guard identified as Colorado man

CHEYENNE (WNE) — A previously unidentified security guard accused in a lawsuit against Cheyenne Frontier Days of physically assaulting a Colorado man has been identified.

More information about the guard, however, has led the judge in the federal case to dismiss the case without prejudice. Both parties in the case are now known to be residents of Colorado, meaning the case cannot be heard in the U.S. District Court of Wyoming.

Attorneys for the plaintiff may refile the suit in Laramie County District Court, according to court filings.

Frederick D. Amen, a resident of Colorado, alleged that the guard, identified only by a photograph, had assaulted him at a Frontier Nights event in 2022.

Amen previously alleged that the guard pushed him to the ground after he attempted to re-enter the crowd area through a barricade. He alleged that the guard told him he was not allowed to re-enter the area after leaving. The interaction led to Amen being pushed to the ground, he said.

“As (Amen) walked away, John Doe grabbed him from behind and threw (Amen) to the ground,” initial filings for the case read. “John Doe seriously injured (Amen’s) back and his elbow.”

Amen said he brought the incident to the attention of police and security officials on-site but that the people working there at the time refused to identify the guard in question.

Court filings made by Amen’s lawyers last week revealed the identity of the guard.

According to a motion to dismiss for lack of diversity jurisdiction, Amen’s lawyers said Cheyenne Frontier Days identified the guard as Tyler Beckle, who also is a resident of Colorado.

This story was published on August 17, 2023.

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Crook County accident kills two

SUNDANCE (WNE) — Crook County’s first fatal road accident of the year took place on July 31 and is still under investigation by Wyoming Highway Patrol.

The crash involved two motorcyclists from France and a motorhome whose occupants were from Arizona.

At 12:33 p.m., on U.S. 14 at mile marker 170 near the Madison pump station, a two-vehicle crash took place, according to Lieutenant Tim Boumeester.

“The first vehicle was a motorhome pulling a passenger car,” he said. “They were traveling eastbound on Highway 14 when the driver pulled off the roadway into the driveway access there at the pump station because they realized they were heading the wrong direction.”

The motorhome driver began to pull back out onto U.S. 14 in an attempt to make a u-turn. At that time, the second vehicle, a motorcycle, was traveling eastbound toward Devil’s Tower.

“The motorcyclist attempted to avoid the motorhome by steering to the left; however, (it) collided with the motorhome’s left front quarter panel,” Boumeester said. “Upon the collision, both occupants of the motorcycle were separated from the motorcycle. The motorhome came to rest across both lanes of U.S. 14 facing northwest and the motorcycle came to rest on a flat slide partially against [the motorhome] facing northeast.”

Both individuals on the motorcycle were pronounced dead at the scene. Both were wearing helmets at the time of the crash.

This story was published on August 17, 2023.