August 15, 2024 – Sheboygan Co., WI – The Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department has released the name of the Kewaskum man killed in a crash Wednesday with a train.
UPDATE 08/15/24: Deceased: 66-year-old Jeffery S. Blankenheim of Kewaskum, WI.
The crash remains under investigation.
Below are initial details of the incident.
August 14, 2024 – Sheboygan Co., WI – A 66-year-old Kewaskum man was killed Wednesday afternoon following a collision with a train in neighboring Sheboygan Co., WI.
A release from Sheboygan County Sheriff is below.
On Wednesday August 14, 2024 at approximately 2:08 pm, the Sheboygan County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call advising of a crash between a semi-truck with a tanker hauling liquid manure and a Wisconsin Southern train in the W5100 block of Abbott Drive, located in the Town of Sherman in the southwest portion of Sheboygan County.
As deputies arrived on scene they discovered a semi tank truck loaded with approximately 5,000 gallons of liquid manure had originally been operating west on Abbott Drive. The semi was on its side in the ditch as it had crossed the Wisconsin Southern Railway crossing with Abbott Drive and struck by a north bound Wisconsin Southern train. The crossing has a yield sign on Abbott Drive.
The train’s engine and 6 cars were derailed out of an approximate 22 cars in the train. Only one car that was derailed lost some of its plastic pellet load. There is no hazard to the community.
The operator of the semi, a 66-year-old male from Kewaskum, was deceased on scene. No other injuries were reported at this time.
Abbott Drive will be closed west bound from State Highway 57 and traffic entering from the west on Abbott Drive will be required to turn south on to Allen Road until the investigation is complete, which could be several days, dependent on repairs.
The accident is being reconstructed by the Wisconsin State Patrol. Names and other details will not be released at this time pending notification of families.
Other public safety resources that assisted on this incident were; Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Office, Sheboygan County Highway Department, Sheboygan County Hazmat Team, WI State Patrol, WI Department of Natural Resources, Orange Cross Ambulance, Fire Department’s from Random Lake, Silver Creek and Plymouth.
