Nine dead, one injured in Clark County crash between tanker truck, van
Nine people were killed and one injured in a crash between a tanker truck and a van Friday in Clark County in west central Wisconsin.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday night that the driver of the semi and eight of the nine people in the van died at the scene. One passenger in the van was taken to the Marshfield St. Joseph’s Hospital as a result of their injuries.
Law enforcement officials told Twin Cities television station KSTP that none of the victims are from the area and were just passing through.
Gov. Tony Evers, in a post on X, said he and his wife, Kathy, “are saddened today by the fatal crash that occurred in Clark County, tragically taking nine lives. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of all those involved, as well as the first responders who worked quickly to provide support at the scene.”
The sheriff’s office said those who died will be identified after notification of family members.
The crash — near Dewhurst, between Neillsville and Black River Falls — was reported shortly before 7:53 a.m. Friday. Preliminary reports suggested the van, driving north on County J, collided with a semi-tractor heading east on State 95, the sheriff’s office said.
Aerial footage from Twin Cities television station WCCO showed the semi and its trailer came to a rest off the road, with the trailer in its side. The van, also on its side on the shoulder of the road, appeared to have been charred from a fire.
State 95 reopened Friday night after being closed in both directions all day while the investigation continued and the vehicles were removed.
Friday’s crash that killed nine people is more fatalities than Clark County has had in a single year since at least 2019, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Nine deaths makes this crash tied for the second-deadliest crash in Wisconsin history. Nine people also died in a crash in 1937 in Manitowoc County, according to Wisconsin Watch.
The deadliest crash in Wisconsin history occurred in 2002 on Interstate 43 in Sheboygan County, according to previous media reports. Ten people died in a 45-vehicle pileup on a foggy day.
Drake Bentley of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.