Clark Co. (WQOW) - Thursday, there was a scene of destruction in Cark County; there was a 50-foot gap in the middle of County Rd M which was washed out after a day of rain. The drop-off was 12 to 15 feet. You can see it in broad daylight, but it's very possible you wouldn't see it coming in the middle of the night.
Tragically, three people died Wednesday night when their vehicles went into the washout on County Rd M which is northwest of Neillsville.
There were two people in a pickup that crashed. A couple from Milwaukee, Thomas Jurceka, 56 and Susan Jurceka, 57. There was one person in the SUV that crashed, Mary Malinowski, 24, from Thorp. All three died.
No skid marks led up to the crash scene. Leading investigators to believe the drivers had no idea of the danger they faced.
"For something like this to happen is very unusual and tragic in this situation" says Deputy Chief Backus from the Cark County Sheriff's Department.
Around 1:30 Thursday morning, the Clark County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call from someone about this.
Backus says, "They did drive upon it and I'm not sure if it was the reflection of the vehicles or what caught their attention but it definitely could have been much more tragic and they were able to stop in time."
Investigators say after the road gave way, a truck with two people inside plummeted into the washout first. Then a second vehicle, an SUV with one person inside, crashed. The SUV landed right on top of the truck. All three people died.
"It appeared that they were deceased so at that time with the rising water and the undermining as the blacktop continued to fall in it turned into a recovery of the vehicles and the victims" says Backus.
Investigators say they still have questions they're trying to answer.
Backus says, "Through investigation we're trying to track down time as we're not sure when it occurred as a passerby ended up coming upon them, but we're still not exactly sure on the time of the crash."
The County's Emergency Management Office also has its own questions about how this happened.
Michelle Hartness, the Clark County Emergency Management Director, says, "We did not have any washouts in the area that indicated we needed to be checking. But as I indicated earlier, this is not a high impact area.
County Rd M runs over a creek in that area, but as Emergency Management said, there have not been major problems with road flooding there in the past.
Investigators are still looking into what caused their deaths, whether it was from the crash or if they drowned. There were reports that the area had three inches of rain yesterday.
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Clark Co. (Press Release) - Three people are dead after two vehicles crash into an area where the road appeared to have washed out by heavy rains.
The Clark County Sheriff's Department received a 911 call at approximately 1:35 a.m. reporting two vehicles were located in the washout on County Road M approximately 1.5 miles north of County Road I.
Initial investigation indicates a northbound Ford Ranger truck crashed first into the washout. These victims are identified as Thomas J. Jurceka, 56, and Susan Jurceka, 57, both of Milwaukee. It appears the second vehicle, a Chevrolet Suburban, driven by Mary A. Malinowski, 24, of Thorp, was also northbound when it crashed in the same area. The Suburban landed directly on top of the Jurceka vehicle. Seatbelts were used in the Jurceka vehicle and speed does not appear to be a factor in this crash. There were no other survivors in the vehicles.
It is unknown what caused the roadway to wash out. It is reported approximately three inches of rain fell in a short period of time. The washout area was approximately 50 feet wide and about 12-15 feet deep.
All three victims were pronounced dead at the scene by Clark County Coroner Richard Schleifer. The Greenwood Fire and Ambulance, Marshfield Fire and Rescue and Spirit of Marshfield all assisted at the scene.
The Sheriff's department is continuing the investigation in an attempt to determine the times of these crashes.
These are the first traffic fatalities in Clark County for 2012.
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Clark Co. (Press Release) -- Three people are dead after two vehicles crashed into an area where the road appeared to have washed out by heavy rains.
The Clark County Sheriff's Department received a 911 call at approximately 1:35 a.m. Thursday morning, reporting two vehicles were located in the washout on County Road M approximately one and a half miles north of County Road I.
Initial investigation indicates a northbound truck with two victims crashed first into the washout. It appears the second vehicle, with one victim, crashed in the same area. All three victims were pronounced dead on the scene by Clark County Coroner Richard Schleifer. Neither vehicle had additional passengers.
The Greenwood Fire and Ambulance, Marshfield Fire and Rescue and Spirit of Marshfield all assisted at the scene.
The Sheriff's department is continuing the investigation. Names are being withheld pending notification of family. No other information is available at this time.
These are the first traffic fatalities in Clark County for 2012.
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Clark County (WQOW) - Three people have died in the midst of a washout. It happened early Thursday morning on County Highway M, 1 ½ miles north of I, northwest of Neillsville.
The Clark County Sheriff's Office says three bodies were found in two vehicles. We'll have more information as soon as it becomes available.
Ctsy: Clark Co. Sheriff's Office
Ctsy: Clark Co. Sheriff's Office
Ctsy: Clark Co. Sheriff's Office
Ctsy: Clark Co. Sheriff's Office
