Names of Merrill residents killed in Wednesday traffic accident released

Two Merrill residents died in a head-on collision on State Hwy. 17 on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 23, 2024. Kathleen A. Wegner, age 79, and Lee G. Wegner, age 82, died when the SUV they were traveling in was struck head-on.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) reports the 911 Dispatch Center received multiple reports of a three-vehicle traffic crash on Hwy. 17 near the intersection of Barnes Creek Ave. in the Township of Merrill, with multiple injuries. The accident occurred at approximately 3:45 p.m.
A preliminary investigation into the accident indicates one northbound vehicle and two southbound vehicles collided. First the northbound pickup truck crossed the center line, crashing into a southbound SUV head-on. Then the second southbound vehicle - another pickup truck - struck the first [originally northbound] pickup truck. The crash remains under investigation.
The occupants of the SUV, 79-year-old Kathleen A. Wegner of Merrill who was driving and her passenger, 82-year-old Lee G. Wegner, were pronounced dead at the scene by Lincoln County Coroner Valerie Caylor. The 23-year-old driver of the northbound pickup truck “sustained critical (though not believed to be life threatening) injuries) and was transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital,” a press release from the LCSO said. The driver of the second pickup truck, age 32, was treated for minor injuries and released at the scene.
The highway was closed for nearly six hours for crash scene investigation and cleanup. In addition to the LCSO, the Merrill Police Department, Merrill Fire Department, Lincoln County Highway Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Wisconsin Department of Transportation also assisted at the scene.