Runaway dump truck driver charged in double fatality Teton Pass crash

Wyoming authorities charged a dump truck driver after a fatal July crash caused by apparent brake failure on Teton Pass.

On September 1, 2026, Laiton George McMinn, 22, of Idaho, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of homicide by vehicle by the Teton County Prosecutor’s Office.

The charges stem from a crash that occurred on July 7, 2026, on WY 22 near mile marker 6.8 in Teton Pass.

According to the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP), “a dump truck hauling asphalt was coming down the pass had lost control and had collided with a motorcycle, 2 pickup trucks, a Subaru and glancing another vehicle before over turning and coming to rest on its side.”

Nicholas Besobrasow, 66, and David Page, 57, died at the scene. Four other people were transported to hospitals for treatment of minor to moderate injuries.

WHP concluded that the fatal crash occurred because the dump truck’s brakes overheated and failed. Troopers blamed the brake failure on McMinn driving too fast or in the wrong gear, overusing the brakes, and failing to utilize runaway truck ramps along Teton Pass.

McMinn reportedly told troopers after the crash that his brakes failed as he rounded the final corner on the pass descent, and that he had tried to steer into a guardrail but bounced off prior to striking other vehicles.

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Jackson Hole News & Guide, WHP Trooper Brad Latchaw said the crash was preventable and caused by driver error.

“Laiton’s brakes faded that day because of overuse, not a mechanical issue. Laiton had insufficient braking ability when he passed by the runaway escape ramp. If Laiton had taken the escape ramp, this crash would have never occurred,” Latchaw wrote.

A post-crash inspection showed no mechanical defects within the dump truck’s brake systems, WHP said.

“Laiton should have never got himself in this situation in the first place,” Latchaw wrote.