MADISON, Wis. – A semi-truck and a pickup truck collided in Potosi Township, Wisconsin, last week, resulting in one person being taken to the hospital, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office reported on Wednesday.
Deputies were notified of the crash on Friday around 11:30 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 35/61 and County Highway B, officials said. An investigation revealed that an 84-year-old man was driving a Chevrolet Silverado westbound on County B. He stopped at the intersection, intending to turn left and head south onto Highway 35/61, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
A 44-year-old resident of Westby was driving a semi-truck northbound on Highway 35/61. The semi was hauling an empty flat-bed trailer, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office explained.
Authorities say the 84-year-old man did not see the approaching semi and drove directly into its path. The 44-year-old driver attempted to brake and swerve left. The front passenger side corner of the semi collided with the front driver’s side corner of the pickup truck. The semi veered off the road on the west side of Highway 35/61, entered a ditch, and partially rolled before coming to a stop. The pickup truck stopped just off the road on the east side of the intersection.
Both drivers were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, deputies confirmed. The 44-year-old driver was evaluated at the scene and declined further medical treatment. The 84-year-old man was transported to Grant Regional Health Center.
The semi and pickup truck sustained significant damage in the collision. The highway was closed for approximately four hours during the investigation and cleanup. The 84-year-old man was cited for failing to yield the right of way from a stop sign.