Two killed, one injured near Elk Mound
By LeAnn R. Ralph
ELK MOUND — Two people were killed and one was injured when a car crossing state Highway 29 was struck by a semi tractor-trailer at the intersection with 970th Street in the Town of Elk Mound around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, October 9.
According to a news release from the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department, the two deceased victims were identified as Juan Colohua-Cervantes, age 29, and Gervasio Cervantes Sanchez, age 30.
The Dunn County communications center received a report of the two-vehicle crash at 1:24 a.m., and the initial report was that one was person was dead at the scene.
Personnel from the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department, the Colfax Rescue Squad, the Elk Mound Fire Department, the Mayo helicopter and the Wisconsin State Patrol responded to the accident.
When Dunn County deputies arrived, the Dunn County medical examiner was called, along with the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Department to assist with traffic control.
After arriving at the scene, Dunn County deputies discovered two occupants of the car were dead, and that another occupant of the vehicle was seriously injured.
The lone survivor was transported by ground to Mayo Health System in Eau Claire.
Investigators determined that the car was crossing Hwy. 29 south bound onto 970th Street and was struck by a fully-loaded west bound semi truck.
The semi crossed the median after impact, crossed the eastbound lanes and came to rest in a ditch south of Hwy. 29.
The occupants of the car were suspected of consuming alcohol before the accident, were not wearing seat belts and were all believed to be local farm employees.
The driver of the semi truck voluntarily submitted to a blood draw to confirm there were no drugs or alcohol in his system.
The semi driver was not injured and is not suspected of causing the crash in any way.
As of the afternoon of October 9, the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department was still investigating the accident, and the Wisconsin State Patrol was expected to reconstruct the crash.
No further information was available from the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department concerning the name of the injured person or the name of the truck driver.
