BY TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), two people were killed in a motor vehicle crash the evening of Wednesday, May 10, 2023, on Hwy. 17 north of Gleason in the Township of Russell.
At approximately 8:31 p.m. the Lincoln County 911 Dispatch Center received a report of a two-vehicle crash on State Rd./Hwy. 17 near the intersection of Cty. Rd. CCC. The highway was closed to through traffic, with both lanes blocked for hours. The highway was cleared and reopened to traffic at 2:16 a.m. this morning, Thursday, May 11.
Lincoln County deputies, the Town of Russell Fire Department, Town of Russell First Responders, Merrill Fire Department & Ambulance, Merrill Police Department, and the Wisconsin State Patrol all responded and assisted at the scene.
Preliminary investigation indicates a vehicle southbound on Hwy. 17 crossed the center line and collided head-on with a northbound vehicle. Both drivers sustained fatal injuries in the crash and were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names have not yet been released.
There were no other occupants in the vehicles at the time of the crash.
The crash remains under investigation, however, alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the crash.