TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
84-year-old James Hartson of Gleason died Friday night, Oct. 1, after being struck by a vehicle on State Road 64 near Range Line Road in the Town of Pine River, according to a media release from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. A 911 call came in to the Dispatch Center at 8:02 p.m. that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle. The Pine River Fire Department and first responders were one of the first agencies on the scene. They immediately rendered care to the two victims and one witness, including assisting with CPR, however, life saving efforts were unsuccessful. Highway 64 was shut down for more than five hours as a result of the crash.
Hartson had been looking for a deer he had struck with his own vehicle moments prior to the incident according to the Sheriff’s Office release.
Firefighters from Pine River also assisted with shutting down State Rd. 64 around the crash scene to allow emergency responders to operate safely and investigate the crash. Pine River Engine 2 provided much-needed lighting on the scene to assist with the rescue and investigation.
The operator of the vehicle that struck Hartson was also injured in the crash and later sought medical attention. That driver, an Antigo area woman, is cooperating with law enforcement as they continue to investigate the crash. Alcohol and speed do not appear to be factors in the crash, according to the release.
In total. Pine River firefighters diverted traffic for over five hours while the Wisconsin State Patrol Technical Reconstruction Unit worked to reconstruct the crash, the Pine River Fire Department said. The incident was cleared and Highway 64 reopened at 2:46 a.m. on Oct. 2.
The Merrill Fire Department also assisted at the scene.