Names released in fatal I-94 crash
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WILSON — The names of those killed and injured in the seven-vehicle crash that occurred Monday, October 23 along Interstate 94 at the Wilson exit have been identified by authorities.
Two people perished in the accident while ten others were injured or involved in the accident after a semi-tractor trailer plowed into the back of a stationary pickup truck to initiate the crash which happened around 5:38 p.m. October 23 in the westbound lanes of Interstate 94 at Mile Marker 28 near Wilson in St. Croix County.
The deceased are Zdzislaw Obodzinski, 76 of Palatine, Illinois, who was driving the 2013 Volvo Semi truck that caused the crash, and James Michael Shearer, 45 of Hammond, WI, whose 2019 Ford F-150 pickup truck was initially struck by Obodzinski.
The injured included Raul Placencia, 34 of Minneapolis, MN, the driver of a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox, and his passengers Mayra Pesantis, 38 also of Minneapolis, MN; and a pair of minors – a 16-year-old male and 6-year-old female – both of whom are also from Minneapolis, MN. All four were transported to Western Wisconsin Health in Baldwin for treatment of non-life threating injuries.
Four other units were involved in the accident with just one of the occupants receiving non-life threatening injuries that did not require medical transport. Those included Charanjit Singh, 35 of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (driver and lone occupant of a 2020 Volvo semi tractor); Scott Bye, 49 from Orangeville, Illinois (the driver and lone occupant of a 2023 Freightliner Cascadia semi tractor); Nicole Jeffreys, 36 from Hagersville, Ontario, Canada (the driver of a 2012 GMC Sierra pickup) and her passenger, 37-year-old Brian Wernham (who had non-life threatening injuries) also of Hagersville, Ontario; and Jessie Aronson, 28 of Cottage Grove, MN (driver of a 2019 BMW M850XI) and his passenger Shantel Whitish, 19 from West St. Paul, MN.
All individuals including the deceased were wearing their seat belts at the time of the crash which is still being investigated due to its complexity.
According to an updated report by the Wisconsin State Patrol, on the evening of Monday, October 23, westbound traffic on I-94 at MP 25.5 had significantly slowed due to congestion caused by a construction zone lane closure at that location. A 2013 Volvo semi unit, being driven by Obodzinski, traveling at highway speed failed to identify the slowed traffic ahead of it and struck Shearer’s Ford F150 and the Freightliner semi unit. This initial impact caused a chain reaction crash involving the other four vehicles.
Multiple vehicles burst into flames after the impact including the two semi units listed above. One of the semi units burned under the State Highway 128 overpass which necessitated closure of State Highway 128 until the bridge could be assessed for structural integrity.
I-94 westbound lanes remained closed until the overpass was inspected and repairs to the roadway were completed. Both westbound lanes on I-94 and the overpass on State Highway 128 were reopened by early evening the following day (Tuesday, October 24).
The Wisconsin State Patrol was assisted on the scene by the St. Croix C*ounty Sheriff’s Office, United Fire-Baldwin, Baldwin EMS, Spring Valley Fire Department and Woodville Police Department.
