Date: JULY 19th 2016
Subject: FATAL ACCIDENT (2016-26156)
Authority: LIEUTENANT RYAN HERMAN
On Tuesday, July 19th 2016 at 2:33 p.m. the Washington County Sheriff’s Office responded to STH 60 1/10 of a mile east of CTH M in the Town of Jackson reference a four car, head-on, vehicular crash. Passing motorists that stopped to assist advised one operator was trapped in a vehicle and another operator was ejected from a vehicle. Upon deputies and assisting Jackson Police Officers arrival, serious injury was observed to two operators. Jackson Fire and Rescue Department responded as well as West Bend Rescue.
The trapped operator was extricated from the vehicle allowing medical personnel to begin life-saving efforts. Jackson Fire and Rescue determined Flight for Life was needed to transport this operator. Life-saving efforts continued as Flight for Life transported her to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. Sometime after departure, life-saving efforts were discontinued as she was now deceased. The ejected operator was transported to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee via ambulance with significant injury.
Initial investigation of the crash shows a male operator was operating his vehicle eastbound on STH 60 just east of CTH M when he entered the southern gravel shoulder of STH 60 to perform a passing maneuver of two eastbound vehicles in front of him. When attempting this he lost control in the gravel resulting in the vehicle sliding back into the roadway, crossing the center line into the westbound lane of travel. Here it struck a westbound vehicle driven by the trapped/deceased operator. As the westbound vehicle spun off STH 60 after initial impact, it made contact with a parked motor vehicle in a residential yard adjacent to the highway prior to coming to rest directly next to the residence itself. A fourth vehicle (eastbound) occupied by two female subjects swerved to avoid the crash and entered the south ditch of STH 60. This vehicle sustained minor damage from entering the ditch and the occupants suffered minor injury.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction team is assisting with the investigation. Contributing factors of the crash are being investigated. STH 60 was closed to all traffic in the immediate area of the crash for approximately seven hours to assist with investigative and clean up measures.
The deceased operator is a 60 YOA female from the Town of Hartford. The injured (significant injury) operator is a 21 YOA male from the Village of Jackson. The injured (minor injury) operator is a 16 YOA female from the Town of Jackson and the injured (minor injury) passenger is a 17 YOA female from the Village of Jackson.
This is Washington County’s 8th traffic fatality in 2016.