Slippery roads last Tuesday morning kept deputies busy before day break. Reports of vehicles sliding off into the ditch started coming in just after 4 a.m. and continued on until late morning. In all deputies checked on 10 slide offs, the vast majority of which occurred south of the city of Merrill. According to a deputy’s report, ice build-up on County Rd FF was so bad a county truck spreading salt slid off into the ditch near 60th Ave.
A 36 year old Illinois man was taken into custody Tuesday evening after deputies investigated a report of a woman being pushed out of a vehicle on US Hwy 51. The victim called 911 just before 9 p.m. and reported that after getting into a verbal argument in a vehicle traveling north on US Hwy 51 the driver of the vehicle, Norman F. Weltmeyer of Manteno, IL, started swerving all over the roadway. When she threatened to call 911 Weltmeyer took her cell phone and threw it out the window. Weltmeyer slowed the vehicle near County Rd H in the Town of Birch so the woman could get out to retrieve the phone but as she opened the car door he shoved her out onto the shoulder of the road. As deputies spoke to the victim Weltmeyer returned to the scene. He was placed through field sobriety tests and eventually taken into custody on a third offense charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. When deputies booked Weltmeyer into the Lincoln County Jail they also charged him with disorderly conduct, intimidation of a victim, and probation violation. At a bond hearing on Wednesday Weltmeyer was released on a signature bond.
Snow and ice kept deputies and Troopers busy on Wednesday as a front moved through the county starting at day break. Deputies responded to a handful of incidents throughout the morning including an injury crash, a crash that closed a portion of US Hwy 51 for hours, and a crash that caused substantial damage to a semi and a county plow truck.
At 10:21 a.m. a report of a crash with injury was received in the Town of Scott. According to the report three vehicles were traveling north on County Rd K when the lead vehicle stopped to turn onto Park Ave. The second vehicle slowed to pass the stopped vehicle but the third vehicle struck both vehicles when it was not able to stop. The driver of the third vehicle, 58 year old John T. Malone, and his passenger, 41 year old Mary L. Malone, both of Bowler, were transported by Merrill EMS to Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
At 10:30 a.m. semis traveling south on US Hwy 51 just south of Irma caused white out conditions resulting in a flatbed semi rear ending a garbage truck. Both vehicles were traveling south on US Hwy 51 at the North County Rd K when the crash occurred. The flat bed semi left the road and landed in the ditch. During the cleanup and recovery one lane of the highway was closed causing additional traffic delays. The Wisconsin State Patrol assisted with the road closure.
Just after noon a Lincoln County Highway Department worker radioed the Sheriff’s Office and advised a semi had just struck his plow on US Hwy 51 south of Center Rd. According to the deputy who investigated the crash the plow truck was plowing snow off of the right lane of US Hwy 51. His side plow wing was up but a passing semi being driven by a 58 year old man from Iowa struck the wing ripping a hole in the side of the semi from the passenger side door through the sleeper. Neither driver was injured in the crash nor was the plow truck damaged.
A one vehicle crash Thursday morning caused injuries to a 31 year old Irma woman. A deputy came across the crash at County Rd A and Camp Ten Rd at 7:30 a.m. According to his report, a vehicle being driven by Jacqueline I. Jarvais had left the roadway. Jarvis complained of minor injuries and was transported by Oneida County Medic One to Ministry St. Mary’s Hospital where she was treated and released.
Tomahawk Firefighters responded to a reported chimney fire on Friday morning in the Town of Bradley. At 10:19 a.m. a 911 call reported the incident in the 11000 block of Muskellunge Lake Rd. Firefighters were on the scene for less than half an hour. No injuries or damage was reported.
With the opening of the snowmobile trails the Rec. Deputy reported a very busy weekend as the trails were full throughout the county. The Rec. Deputy would like to remind sports enthusiasts to make sure your snowmobiles or ATV’s are registered before hitting the trails and to obey all signs. The most common violation found every year is recreational vehicles failing to stop at stop signs or leaving the marked trails. Several sleds were stopped this weekend and the operators were cited for not stopping at stop signs. The Rec. Deputy also noted the trails in the county are a cooperative effort between the snowmobile clubs, the county, and land owners. It is important to stay on the trail or risk losing land access. The Rec. Deputy along with DNR Wardens will continue to focus on making this a safe and successful winter sports season.
Seven people reported striking deer this past week.