Man dies, Buffalo police officer injured in head-on collision Sunday

BUFFALO (WNE) — One man died and a Buffalo police officer was seriously injured after a head-on vehicle collision along Wyoming Highway 59 between Gillette and Douglas on Sunday night.

The officer, Cody Thomas, had been on his way back to the police academy in Douglas after watching his sons compete in swimming in Gillette, Buffalo Police Chief Sean Bissett said during the city’s department head meeting Tuesday morning.

While driving on Highway 59, Thomas encountered another driver who veered into Thomas’ lane, drove into the borrow ditch then reentered the road to hit Thomas in a head-on collision, Bissett said.

According to a Facebook post from the Buffalo Police Department Monday afternoon, the other driver was life-flighted for his injuries and has since died. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Wyoming Highway Patrol had not released the man’s name.

Bissett shared Tuesday morning that Thomas is home recovering with his family, and that based on the appearance of the vehicle after the collision, it's a "miracle" he survived. Thomas was in the midst of attending the Wyoming Police Academy.

The Facebook post expressed gratitude to the community from the department.

"Your kind words, prayers, and messages of encouragement have been shared with Officer Thomas and his family and are deeply appreciated," the department wrote. 

A GoFundMe account has been established to help the Thomas family.

This story was published on March 5, 2026. -