Fremont County Death Statistics Alarming

The suicide rate in Wyoming is alarming, and more so in Fremont County, where the rate is almost three times that of the national average.
In a third quarter report, Fremont County Coroner Mark Stratmoen told the county commissioners that through the first nine months of the year, deaths falling under the coroner’s jurisdiction are up by 28 over 2016 at this point to 135. He told commissioners that of the 259 recorded deaths in the County, 52 percent of those were coroner’s cases – meaning they were either vehicle crashes, suicides or homicides.
Stratmoen said the use of alcohol or drugs represented 37 percent of all coroner cases and 79 percent of all the non-natural deaths, although he added that he didn’t know what more could be done to educate the public on the dangers of driving while intoxicated or while high.