Tragic Accident in Rural Wisconsin Claims Nine Lives
A horrific accident in rural west-central Wisconsin has left nine people dead and one person hospitalized after a passenger van collided with a semi-trailer truck. The accident occurred at the intersection of Wisconsin State Hwy. 95 near Dewhurst Township, about 150 miles southeast of Minneapolis and 200 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
The collision took place early Friday morning, with the passenger van heading north on a county road and the semi-truck traveling eastbound on the state highway. The Clark County Sheriff’s Department reported that the van and semi collided, resulting in the van overturning on the shoulder of the road and the semi coming to a stop with its trailer overturned.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the van sustained fire damage, and tragically, eight van passengers and the semi-truck driver lost their lives in the crash. The ninth van passenger was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield, Wisconsin, for treatment.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers expressed condolences to the victims’ families and commended the quick response of first responders on the scene. The response team included the Clark County Sheriff, Wisconsin State Patrol, Hatfield Fire and Rescue, Neillsville Area Ambulance, and the Clark County Highway Department.
Clark County Coroner Clarissa Rochester confirmed the fatalities at the scene, and investigations into the cause of the wreck are underway by state and local authorities. The identities of the victims have not been released pending notification of their families, and it was revealed that none of the individuals involved in the accident were from the local area.
As the community mourns the loss of these nine lives, the tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of the road and the importance of road safety for all travelers.