Car vs. deer

Crash reports

The following car vs. deer accidents were reported: Logan Jayden Hansen, 18, of Owen, on September 4, at 2:45 a.m., on CTH E, in the town of Holway; Mark Joseph Wudi, 46, of Medford, on September 2, at 7:15 a.m., on CTH M, in the town of Greenwood.

A car owned by Emily Rae Balsis, of Medford, was legally parked and unoccupied at Utopia Day Spa. Sara Michelle Semrau, 42, of Medford, was backing out from a parking stall when she backed into Balsis’ vehicle. Semrau stated she had just arrived at Utopia and pulled into her parking spot. Semrau indicated she has a dial shifter in her vehicle and did not realize it was in reverse when she let her foot off the brakes. Semrau didn’t realize she was backing up until the impact occurred as her attention was focused elsewhere.

Steven Wayne Kautzer, 57, of Curtiss, and Samuel Dean Walter, 24, of Medford, were stopped in a line of cars waiting at the stop sign on Gibson St. on September 7, at 3:45 p.m., in the city of Medford. Kautzer’s vehicle was in front of Walter’s vehicle. Kautzer started to reverse to make a maneuver to turn southbound due to the wait for traffic, eventually striking the brush guard of Walter’s vehicle with his rear bumper. Minor damage to Kautzer’s rear bumper and functional damage to the brush guard and plastic parts of the grill of Walter’s vehicle.

Jesse James Winkler, 27, of Rhinelander was westbound on CTH V, on September 2, at 7:21 p.m., in the town of McKinley when he failed to stop at the stop sign controlled intersection and collided with Charles Francis McCain, 61, of Sheldon. McCain was traveling southbound on CTH H. McCain’s vehicle overturned and came to rest on its roof facing southbound in the southwest ditch of the intersection and struck a phone junction box. Winkler’s vehicle came to rest facing north in the southwest ditch of the intersection. Both drivers were transported via EMS Ground to Marshfield Medical Center in Ladysmith. Both vehicles were towed due to disabling damage. Winkler received two citations for failure to stop at a stop sign (causing great bodily harm) and inattentive driving.

Donald Northup, 81, of Lublin, was backing out of a space in the County Market parking lot on September 12, at 2:10 p.m., in the city of Medford. Wayne Hoffman, 82, of Athens, was parked across from Northup’s vehicle. Northup backed out slowly and came very close to Hoffman’s vehicle. Hoffman stated that Northup made contact with his vehicle. Northup denied this. Upon reviewing the store’s surveillance footage, the vehicles came very close but it is not possible to tell if they actually made contact. There were light scratches to the driver’s side of Hoffman’s rear bumper and no observable damage to Northup’s vehicle.

Christian J. Klarr, 39, of Lublin, was traveling southbound through the Wheeler’s Chevrolet parking lot on September 12, at 12:20 p.m., in the city of Medford, when he failed to see the utility pole. Klarr struck the pole head on causing damage to his vehicle and the pole.

Zacchary Thomas Bruehling, 35, of Sheboygan, was southbound on CTH MM, on September 4, at 3 a.m., in the town of Jump River, when he entered the west ditch, striking several trees. Bruehling stated that he swerved for a deer in the roadway. Bruehling’s vehicle was towed due to disabling damage. Bruehling was issued citations for operating without a valid license (first violation), failure to keep vehicle under control, and failure of operator to notify police of accident. In addition, passengers Samantha Elaine Ybanez, 29, of Sheboygan and Hunter Allen Turner, 21, of Phillips received citations for failure to notify police of an accident.

Taylor County Sheriff’s Department