Sublette woman injured in Wednesday accident

Special to the Leader & Times

A Sublette woman was injured in a semi accident early Wednesday morning at approximately 8:25 a.m., 21 miles northeast of Garden City on K-156.

A 2008 Kenworth semi being driven by Maritza Ruiz, 27, of Sublette, was traveling westbound on K-156 at milemarker 24.1. A 2004 Kenworth being driven by Aaron Ortega-Arzate, 23, of Garden City, was making a left turn out of the rest area to travel eastbound on K-156 at the same location. Ortega-Arzate failed to yield at a stop sign and turned in front of Ruiz. The Ruiz semi struck the semi-trailer of the Ortega-Arzate semi, and cut the trailer in half. The Ruiz semi sustained significant front-end damage and came to rest facing southwest in the south ditch of K-156. The Ortega-Arzate semi was disabled in the middle of the highway facing southeast.

Ruiz was taken to St. Catherine’s Hospital in Garden City with suspected serious injuries, Ortega-Arzate was not injured.