Van Crashes Through Evansville Truck Stop, Driver Arrested Inside
A 14-passenger van plowed through the Hat Six Travel Center early Sunday morning, leaving one customer and the suspect in the building before the driver was taken into custody.
By Thabo Hoffmann ·
A white Ford shuttle van crashed through the front entrance of the Hat Six Travel Center in Evansville, Wyoming, around 3:40 a.m. on Sunday. The vehicle entered near the diesel pumps, crossed the entire floor, and stopped against the wall near the gas pumps.
Roger Meinerts, an Iowa trucker, was the only customer inside the store at the time of impact. He was standing at the counter receiving change from the cashier when the van smashed through the door. Meinerts described hearing three loud popping sounds and then watched the vehicle accelerate farther into the building.
The driver, who had been fleeing police, was found inside the store after the van became wedged in the far wall. Officers surrounded the suspect as he sat on the floor in handcuffs. Meinerts stated that the driver was hysterical and rambling while being restrained by multiple officers.
Tyler Berlinger, a local resident, reported the van to nonemergency dispatch around 3 a.m. after it tailgated his pickup and forced him over a curb. Berlinger said he called the police because he wanted to prevent the driver from hurting someone. A Natrona County sheriff's deputy began the pursuit near CY Avenue and Wyoming Boulevard.
Hat Six owner Tiffany Gamble said the building suffered extensive damage but no structural elements were hit. The store reopened less than 12 hours after the crash. Employees cleared broken glass and damaged products from the floor, while contractors installed temporary doors.
Gamble noted that while semi-trucks and trailers often damage travel centers, a 14-passenger van traversing the facility was a first for the business. She expressed gratitude that no one was injured in the incident.
The Evansville Police Department did not respond to inquiries regarding the arrest. Meinerts recorded video of the aftermath, showing the wet tire tracks leading to the stuck van and the suspect surrounded by officers. The suspect claimed to officers that he was not making up the events and mentioned drugs and the interstate.
