Inset: Virginia Wood (GoFundMe). Background: Carbon County Sheriff’s Office truck (CCSO).
A husband searched for “cliffs near me” and “what type of life insurance do I have” before plunging his pickup truck off a Wyoming mountain road with his wife inside — killing her, according to police.
Forrest Jay Wood, 46, of Colorado, is facing a murder charge after investigators say his wife, Virginia Lynne Wood, 44, survived the June 3 crash but then died without getting the medical help she needed, according to Cowboy State Daily.
An arrest affidavit obtained by the local news outlet describes how Forrest Wood was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Silverado when it careened off French Creek Road near Saratoga, accelerating to 57 mph roughly 1.5 seconds before impact without braking, according to police.
The accelerator was allegedly pressed to 99% throttle until a second before the vehicle left the road.
Investigators reported at least five major ground impacts during the vehicle’s descent, including a collision with a boulder, according to Cowboy State Daily. Forrest Wood allegedly told police he didn’t know why or how the truck accelerated.
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“I don’t know, we were happy. I don’t know. I really don’t know. I’m sorry. I wish I knew,” Forrest Wood allegedly replied when police asked him about crash.
Investigators examined his cellphone and found searches made before the crash for “cliffs near me,” “scenic overlook near me” and “am i going to die soon,” according to the affidavit.
There were also alleged searches for “what type of life insurance do I have through work” and “do term life insurances have suicide clauses,” along with searches about cars that had gone off cliffs in the area.
Virginia Wood survived the initial crash, but ultimately died beneath a bush about 50 yards downhill from the truck. Forrest Wood was found alive farther down the slope, according to police.
The crash wasn’t discovered until two days later, when two people spotted the wreckage and called 911. Police say there were no skid marks or tire impressions suggesting Forrest Wood tried to stop.
Virginia Wood’s autopsy showed multiple broken ribs and extensive chest injuries. A forensic pathologist concluded she most likely died from blunt-force injuries from the crash, and the Carbon County coroner classified her death as a homicide.
According to her autopsy, Virginia Wood’s injuries would not have killed her immediately. “[Virginia Wood]Â would have survived the initial crash but would have needed immediate medical care to survive,” the affidavit says.
“It is likely that decedent was carried to the area where her body was found,” according to police.
Forrest Wood allegedly told investigators that two other men had been inside the truck with them, before changing his story to say it was just one. He claimed the man was “over there in his house” while pointing west, according to the affidavit. Forrest Wood also allegedly denied being married to Virginia Wood.
Police at the scene “determined that defendant [Forrest Wood] was either not being honest or was very disoriented” and halted their questioning.
Forrest Wood was arrested Tuesday by police in Fort Collins, Colorado. He is facing a charge of first-degree murder and awaits transfer to Carbon County, Wyoming, where he will face prosecution.
The post Husband drove pickup truck off steep mountain road with wife inside, killing her after searching for ‘cliffs near me’ and insurance policies: Police first appeared on Law & Crime.
