2 Hurt in Downtown Casper Crash; Rialto Building Struck

Police say two people were taken to Wyoming Medical Center after a two-vehicle crash in downtown Casper on Sunday.

Officer Chris Funch of the Casper Police Department told reporters that the two drivers suffered minor injuries.

One vehicle, a Chevrolet Suburban, hit the Rialto Soda Fountain building and damaged a door. The other, a black four-door Toyota Tacoma, had a flat tire.

Rob Piotter, owner of the soda fountain, said he was inside cleaning floors when he felt the building shake shortly before 11 a.m.

"It happened so quick I didn't get a chance to see anything," Piotter explained. Had the Suburban hit the building a few feet to the right, he said, it could have caused serious damage to a window and the storefront.

Funch told reporters that when the crash occurred, one of the vehicles had been northbound on Center Street and the other had been westbound on Second Street turning right onto Center at a red light. It was not clear which vehicle was headed which direction at the time of the crash, Funch said.

It appeared that there was only one person inside each vehicle, Funch said.

The intersection of Second and Center was closed following the crash, but Funch said the closure would only remain in place until wreckers were able to remove the two vehicles from the scene.

The Natrona County Sheriff's Office, Casper Fire-EMS Department and an ambulance from Wyoming Medical Center also responded.