A beloved Wyoming mother-of-two was killed after being hit by a car driving in the wrong direction.
Mandy Butler, 43, of Casper, died from her injuries after her Toyota SUV was hit head-on along CY Avenue on Friday night.
Her father Randy, who rode as a passenger in the SUV, remains in the ICU with critical injuries, according to family members.
The Casper Police Department is investigating whether alcohol played a role in the crash, which occurred shortly after 9pm on CY Avenue
Officers arrived at the scene to find both Butler and her father critically injured. They transported them to Banner Wyoming Medical Center, where Mandy later succumbed to her injuries.
The driver of the wrong-way Nissan passenger car, whose identity has not been revealed, was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Initial evidence gathered by the CPD indicated the wrong-way vehicle collided head-on with the SUV.
Dude Butler, Randy’s son and Mandy’s older brother, told Cowboy State Daily that doctors are preparing to fuse his father’s spine in at least two places.
A suspected wrong-way driver killed Mandy Butler, a beloved Wyoming mother-of-two, instantly when the driver hit her head-on
The Casper Police Department is investigating whether alcohol played a role in the crash
The surgery had been delayed as doctors first worked to deal with internal bleeding stemming from a shattered femur.
While medical professionals has been kept Randy mostly unconscious and on a breathing tube, Dude confirmed he has been awake for short stints and is able to nod and make eye contact.
He can move his feet and feel his legs, giving his family hope that the spinal damage may not be as severe as initially feared
Doctors told Dude they anticipate further surgeries, including a later operation for a fractured hip.
Butler’s two young sons are ‘insanely saddened,’ but are being ‘surrounded by a village with a lot of love,’ according to her brother.
‘I don’t want to dip into the anger too much – but that’s there,’ he told Cowboy State Daily.
The family sent a collective statement about Mandy to Cowboy State Daily:
‘Mandy was kind, loving, and endlessly forgiving. She was a bright light in every room she entered,’ the statement says. ‘With her big heart and bubbly spirit, she had a gift for making others laugh, even in the hardest of times.
‘As a devoted mother to two young boys, they were the center of her world, and she loved them beyond measure,’ the statement read.
Mandy’s eyes have been donated to a family in need
The mother’s eyes have been donated toin need, the statement said.
Mandy’s long-time friend, Donny Espinoza, gave an emotional interview, crediting her with helping him get sober and into rehab 11 years ago when they both lived in Colorado.
‘I believe part of that is because of the kindness Mandy showed me throughout the years,’ he said.
Just hours after the fatal collision, a separate but related incident occurred near the investigation scene. At approximately 2am Saturday, a Natrona County Sheriff’s Office pursuit of a reported impaired juvenile driver ended when the suspect’s vehicle struck an unoccupied Casper Police Department truck.
The juvenile sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized.
