TOWNSHIP OF ELBA, Wis. — Four teens are dead and another is in serious condition after a crash involving a pick-up truck and semi-tractor on a highway in Dodge County early Monday morning.
According to a press release from the Dodge County Sheriff's Office (DCSO), the crash happened around 4 a.m. on State Highway 16/60 at the intersection of County Road TT in the township of Elba, about three miles east of Columbus.
According to an initial investigation, a Ford F150 failed to stop at a stop sign on County Highway TT at State 16/60.
That's when the DCSO says a semi-tractor without a trailer struck the car.
Three of the five occupants in the Ford were pronounced dead at the scene, including Ivan Herrera, 16, Erik Gamillo Calzada, 17, and Luis Gamillo, 19, all from Sun Prairie.
Gamillo was the driver, according to DCSO.
Alix Hernandez, an 18-year-old woman from Fall River who was also a passenger of the Ford, later died at UW Hospital.
Joseline Herrera, another 18-year-old woman and also a passenger of the Ford, was taken to UW Madison Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the semi-tractor, Jeffrey Brown, a 57-year-old man from La Farge Wisconsin, was taken to Prairie Ridge Hospital in Columbus with minor injuries, and released shortly after.
Neighbors who live near the intersection heard what happened.
"It's very sad. I have a son of my own and I can’t imagine what parents are going through. It’s heartbreaking," Melissa Fabian, a neighbor, said.
Fabian said this isn't the first crash she's seen at the intersection since moving there in 2017.
"We've seen five of six accidents in the time we’ve been there," Fabian explained. "There's very little lights out here so maybe a flashing stop sign would be helpful."
According to data from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation,10 people have been injured in crashes at that intersection since 2020.
Other neighbors told TMJ4 News that they want to see change at the county level.
TMJ4 reached out to the area's district supervisor, Steve Kauffeld, to ask about infrastructure at the intersection, but he declined an interview. He said his thoughts and prayers are with the families.
The crash remains under investigation by the County Sheriff’s Office Crash Investigation Team. Assisting at the scene was the Beaver Dam Paramedics, Columbus Fire Department, Life Star EMS, Dodge County Emergency Response Team, the Dodge County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Dodge County Sheriff Chaplains.
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