Law Enforcement Agencies Discuss Wrong-Way Crashes After Recent Multiple Wrong-Way Crashes in Central Wisconsin

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2024 -- 2:01 PM

(Chris Conley, WSAU & WAOW) In light of multiple wrong-way crashes in area counties, law enforcement officials say it’s vital to stay aware of your surroundings and drive defensively, according to Chris Conley with WSAU and WAOW.

“We have to know what’s around us so we can avoid those hazards,” said Sgt. Matt Strickland with Wisconsin State Patrol. “We want to keep our eyes on the road so we can notice hazards, and hazards are often unpredictable, so when we do see a hazard, we want to make sure that we’re prepared to deal with them properly,” he added.

A late December crash in Wood County was the result of a driver going the wrong way, injuring two people and killing one, and Wood County Sheriff Shawn Becker says responding to those types of calls are often tough.

“When you have those collisions, especially head-on, most of the time, they’re very serious unfortunately,” Becker said. Crashes of this nature often happen because of confusion, distraction, or impairment.

If you’re on a freeway, county highway, or on a road in town, and someone is headed directly at you, drive defensively and get out of the way as safely as possible. Then call 911.

“Call us; we might have a deputy close by or we’ll get somebody in the area. There could be a lot of reasons why that driver went over the center line: they could be intoxicated, they could be using their phone,” Becker said.

This is to possibly prevent that driver from creating a crash in another area. Portage County Sheriff Mike Lukas tells News 9 he recommends staying in the right lane on divided highways unless you need to pass someone, in case someone comes at you unexpectedly.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.