Recently a two-car accident occurred in Shawano, Wisconsin, killing an elderly woman. Preliminary investigation suggests that a vehicle traveling southbound failed to yield to oncoming traffic, and was struck by another vehicle that was headed west. The intersection is notorious within the Shawano community due to two separate house fires that ended in two deaths over the years, as well as what residents perceive as an unsafe traffic flow that may have contributed to this most recent car accident.
The vehicle that failed to yield was driven by a 69-year-old woman and had one passenger, a 95-year-old woman. The passenger was taken to Shawano Medical Center and then transferred to Theda Clark Medical Center where she died as a result of injuries sustained during the crash. The drivers of both vehicles were also taken to Shawano Medical Center, and received treatment for minor injuries. Both were released from medical treatment the same day.
Police officers and Wisconsin state troopers on the state’s accident reconstruction team were expected to meet to continue to work on the investigation into the cause of the accident. As of yet, no charges have been filed, though police say that alcohol is not suspected as a factor in the crash. The Shawano Field Committee met recently and discussed the intersection, and has pledged to take a close look at the accident report and determine if any safety measures need to be taken. An alderman for the city told reporters that there have been no requests made for a stop sign at the intersection.
Wisconsin police say that there was an accident with injuries at the intersection earlier this year, but none in 2011 or 2010. The outcome of the accident investigation will likely shed more light on the causes of this fatal car accident, which may bring some measure of comfort to the family of the woman killed in the crash. If a determination is made that the driver who failed to yield is responsible for the crash, there is a potential for criminal charges in the case, as well as a potential wrongful death suit to be filed by the surviving family of the elderly woman who lost her life.
Source: The Shawano Leader, “Woman killed in city car accident,” June 26, 2012
