Three passengers seriously injured when Merrill man runs stop sign

TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR

According to a press release from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), a motor vehicle crash occurred at the intersection of Cty. Hwy. Q and Joe Snow Rd. south of Merrill in the Township of Scott on Saturday morning, Jan. 14, 2023. The Lincoln County Dispatch Center received a 911 call at approximately 7:48 a.m., indicating a two-vehicle crash had occurred, with injuries.
Preliminary investigation by the LCSO indicates a 61-year-old Merrill man was operating a pickup truck westbound on Joe Snow Rd. when he failed to stop for the stop sign, striking an SUV that was southbound on Cty. Hwy. Q, operated by a 63-year-old Merrill man. While neither driver was injured in the crash, all three passengers in the SUV–an adult female, an 11-year-old child, and a 9-year-old child–were injured and transported to area hospitals. The adult female and one minor-aged child were transported by ambulance to Aspirus Wausau Hospital with “significant injuries” and the other minor-aged child was transported to Marshfield Children’s Hospital/Marshfield Medical Center for serious injuries. “None of the injuries are believed to be life threatening,” the LCSO release said. There were no passengers in the pickup truck.
The 61-year-old Merrill man operating the pickup truck was cited for “Failure to Stop at Stop Sign-Cause Great Bodily Harm” and additional charges may be issued based on additional investigation and further interviews.

The names of the individuals involved in the crash had not been released as of the time this story went to print.
The Merrill Fire Department/EMS, Tomahawk EMS, Wausau Fire Department, Merrill Police Department (MPD), and LCSO all responded to the scene, according to the LCSO, with the three EMS services assisting with transportation of patients and the MPD assisting with the scene and directing traffic.