Multiple agencies responded to a reported car vs bus crash early Saturday morning on STH 51 in the Town of Scott.
According to information released by the Lincoln Sheriffs Office, at 2:59 Saturday morning the Lincoln County 911 Communications Center received a report of a wrong-way driver on US Hwy 51 in the area of County Rd Q in the Town of Scott. Within seconds of the first report, an additional 911 call reported a vehicle had struck a bus traveling northbound on US Hwy 51.
Deputies from Lincoln County were on the scene within minutes of the crash and found a passenger car traveling south in the northbound lane, had collided head-on with a motor coach bus from Lamers Bus Lines. The driver of the passenger car, a 26 year old Wausau man, was fatally injured in the crash and was pronounced dead on the scene.
The 29 passengers on the bus were from the Rhinelander area, and were returning from the Milwaukee Brewers game. Several passengers complained of minor injuries but refused medical treatment. One passenger was transported to Ministry Good Samaritan Health Center where she was treated and released.
US Hwy 51 was closed for over five hours. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office and Troopers from the Wisconsin State Patrol, along with staff members of the Wisconsin DOT and Lincoln County Highway Department established and maintained a detour throughout the road closure.
Additional agencies that responded to the scene or relocated to enhance service coverage, included; the Merrill and Pine River Fire Departments, Tomahawk EMS, Wausau Fire Department, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin State Patrol.
It is not known at this time if alcohol was a factor with the passenger car driver, standard testing will be performed on both drivers.
This is the second fatal motor vehicle crash in Lincoln County this year.