Injuries reported
Crash reports
On June 23 at 1 p.m., a motorcycle operated by Jace Brandon Rausch, 20, of Medford was southbound through the parking lot/loading dock area of Sierra Pacific. Based on the tire marks, the motorcycle drove off of the pavement into a rocky ditch and crashed. The operator was not wearing a helmet and was transported to Aspirus Medford Hospital with suspected serious injuries.
On June 16 at 9:25 p.m., a motorcycle operated by Ryan Nelson, 18, of Dorchester was traveling eastbound on CTH O toward Hwy 13. A vehicle driven by Anakin Stokes, 17, of Medford, was traveling westbound on CTH O toward Hwy 13. The eastbound and westbound traffic lights were green and all lights were operational. Nelson turned northbound onto Hwy 13 in front of the Stokes vehicle. Nelson told officers he did not see the Stokes vehicle. A witness claimed that Stokes vehicle did not have their headlights illuminated, although the driver of the Stokes vehicle denied this claim. The headlights appeared functional, and on the “automatic function” in the vehicle. The light was dark enough that the automatic lights would have triggered. The Stokes vehicle struck Nelson in the intersection. Nelson was transported to the hospital by ambulance and his vehicle was towed from the scene. The Stokes vehicle was driven from the scene.
On June 13 at 12:19 p.m., Darrell Struensee, 71, of Neillsville, was traveling eastbound on CTH O when the driver fell asleep. He struck the ditch embankment, a Taylor Electric utility pole and continued until striking landscaped area of W6998 CTH O. There was damage to the utility pole and to the yard of W6998 CTH O. The vehicle had passenger side damage to the cab and box area and was towed from the scene.
On June 17 at 12 a.m., a vehicle driven by Isaiah Heil, 23, of Medford was traveling north on Gibson Dr. when it approached the intersection with CTH O. Heil failed to turn left or right at the T intersection and continued to travel north across CTH O and entered the north ditch facing north in the creek. The driver was not injured and was wearing his seat belt. Krug’s Towing removed the vehicle. The driver was cited for failure of operator to notify police of accident.
On June 12 at 3:45 p.m., a vehicle operated by Dennis Acker, 76, of Medford, was eastbound on CTH M, east of CTH G, when the driver fell asleep and drifted into the north ditch. Acker’s vehicle then went into the north ditch, and struck the top edges of the culvert and then came to rest in the swamp. Both the driver and passenger, Nancy Acker, 73, of Medford, were able to crawl out of the vehicle and were uninjured. The vehicle sustained disabling damage and was towed from the scene.
On June 20 at 11:40 a.m., a semi with trailer operated by Darryl Lenhard of Medford was traveling through the roundabout at Ann’s Way and Hwy 13. A vehicle operated by Diane Glodosky of Wisconsin Rapids was struck by Lenhard’s trailer as it negotiated the curve. The semi did not sustain any damage. The Glodosky vehicle was damaged on the front passenger side.
On June 16 at 5:24 p.m., police responded to a two vehicle accident at Ann’s Way in the city of Medford. No occupants were injured, both vehicles sustained functional damage. Ann Butkus, 56, of Medford, was leaving the parking lot and didn’t see the vehicle driven by Jean Miriam, 18, of Wichita, Kan. traveling west on Ann’s Way and pulled out and struck the rear driver side of the Miriam vehicle.
On June 15 at 11:11 vehicles operated by Norman Vlach, 81, of Rib Lake, Zachary Zoellick, 37, of Medford, and Peggy Lichtl, 65, of Medford were in the McDonald’s drive through line. Vlach stated his foot slipped from the brake pedal to the gas pedal. His vehicle struck the Lichtl vehicle. Due to the impact, the Lichtl vehicle struck the rear of Zoellick’s vehicle.
One June 7 at 4:15 p.m., a vehicle was attempting to park in a parking stall in the Walmart Parking Lot. While adjusting/ backing out the front driver’s side on Unit No. 1 struck the back passenger side of the parked vehicle owned by Matthew Mueller of Medford causing minor damage. The first vehicle left the scene.
On June 27 at 1:21 p.m., a vehicle owned by Leonard Lois of Burlington was legally parked and unoccupied at 403 Hwy 13 when a vehicle driven by Harlowe Schwartz, 87, of Medford, was doing a parking maneuver next to the Lois vehicle. Schwartz stated that his foot slipped off the brake pedal. The front left corner of the Schwartz vehicle struck the right front corner of the Lois vehicle.
On Jun 20 at 2:46 p.m., a vehicle owned by Delany Parks of Medford, was legally parked in a parking space at Black River Industries at 650 Jensen Dr., Medford. A vehicle driven by Joseph Bach, 68, of Medford was backing out of the parking space directly northwest of the Parks vehicle. As Bach backed out of the parking spot and begin turning, the passenger side rear corner of the vehicle struck the driver side middle of the Parks vehicle.
Deer related crashes
Rhonda Sackman, 47, of Westboro, struck a deer a 4:18 a.m. on June 2 on Hwy 13 in the town of Chelsea.
Mitchell Gilly, 21, of Rib Lake, struck a deer while operating his motorcycle at 4:20 a.m. on June 14 on CTH C in the town of Greenwood.
Joyce Krueger, 65, of Medford struck a deer at 8:25 p.m. on June 12 on CTH M in the town of Grover.
A vehicle driven by Randy Lentz, 64, of Curtiss struck a deer at 6:45 p.m., on June 21 on Water Dr. in the town of Holway.
A vehicle driven by Mary Gelhaus, 70 of Owen, struck a deer at 1:04 p.m. on June 22 on CTH DD in the town of Holway.
A vehicle driven by Clarissa Edelburg, 21, of Rib Lake, struck a deer at 4:59 p.m. on June 16 on CTH C in the town of Browning.
A vehicle driven by Casey Brost, 22, of Medford, struck a deer a 6:49 a.m., on June 15 on Allman Ave. in the town of Medford.
A vehicle driven by Donovan Sutherland, 17, of Rib Lake, struck a deer at 5:21 a.m., on June 14 on Wellington Lake Dr. in the town of Greenwood.
On June 7 at 11:04 a.m., a semi tractor and log trailer unit operated by Brandon Bowe, 36, of Chippewa Falls, was traveling eastbound on CTH D coming down a hill approaching a left hand curve. Bowe was going too fast and failed to maintain control of the vehicle. The vehicle began to tip and eventually rolled over causing the tractor and trailer to enter the northeast ditch of CTH D coming to rest on its side in a northeasterly direction. All of the logs came off the trailer, two of which came through the back of the cab. The driver sustained incapacitating injuries. The truck is owned by Solberg Trucking of Whitehall. The driver was cited for failure to keep vehicle under control.Taylor County Sheriff’s department
