A crash in Jackson County killed a passenger and critically injured two drivers, including the man who sheriff’s deputies believe caused the auto accident. Authorities were notified of the two-vehicle collision in Albion Township at 7:48 p.m.
Officers reported they found a wrecked pickup truck and sedan in a field just off State Highway 54 near the CTH-H intersection. Three people were severely hurt. The pickup driver had been thrown from his truck. An injured driver and a woman passenger were trapped inside the car. Black River emergency personnel said the 24-year-old Lyndon Station woman died before she could be extricated from the car.
The car driver, a 26-year-old Portage man, and the operator of the pickup truck, a 35-year old Black River Falls man, were flown to nearby medical centers. Both men were listed in critical condition.
Deputies think the sedan was struck as it traveled southbound through the intersection along the state highway. A preliminary crash report stated it “appeared” the truck did not stop as it approached the intersection from CTH-H.
A brief moment of thoughtlessness, while driving along a familiar road, may have no consequences. The same negligence can also set in motion a series of irreversible circumstances.
A young woman’s life was lost and the pain and suffering her family endures cannot be soothed with words. Two more crash victims were critically hurt and both could face long recoveries, immense medical expenses, lost income and possible permanent disabilities.
Criminal and civil actions cannot bring back a loved one killed in an accident or repair permanent physical damage that costs a person their livelihood. Lawsuits may provide justice for wronged parties by punishing drivers who break traffic laws.
Wrongful death and liability lawsuits ease the financial weight placed on victims’ shoulders. A civil suit may help injury victims and surviving family members recover compensation for damages caused by negligence.
Source: wxow.com, “Details released about two separate fatal crashes in Jackson County,” Aug. 13, 2012
