Tragedy struck on a wet Interstate 80 Tuesday afternoon, when an 18-year-old Ogallala man slammed his pickup into a semi trailer.

Nebraska State Patrol Troopers and emergency personnel from across Lincoln County responded to the report of an injury accident near mile marker 173 westbound at around 2:30 p.m.

According to the Patrol, Timothy Dovel, 18, of Ogallala, was driving eastbound when his pickup crossed the median and struck the trailer of a westbound semi.

Dovel was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Post employee who passed by the scene said Dovel’s pickup was, “non-existent” following the crash.

Troopers believe Dovel was traveling too fast for the wet conditions and lost control of his vehicle.

Westbound I-80 was closed for over an hour, and traffic was diverted to Highway 30 at North Platte.

The semi’s driver, Herbert Wilson, of Okeechobee, Fla., was not injured.