JUST IN: 1 dead, second driver airlifted in Hwy. 51 head-on crash

By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review

One person is dead and a second person was airlifted to a medical facility after a head-on crash early Thursday, prompting a closure of Hwy. 51 in Oneida County.

The crash was reported at about 6:08 a.m. on Hwy. 15 near South Blue Lake Road in the town of Hazelhurst. Crews requested extrication equipment to free both drivers from their vehicles and two helicopters were immediately dispatched to the scene. Hwy. 51 was closed at about 6:23 a.m. and remains closed as of 9:45 a.m., officials said.

Initial reports from the witnesses on scene advise that the southbound vehicle crossed over the centerline and the northbound vehicle could not avoid the crash.  The driver of the southbound vehicle was transported by helicopter but died upon arrival at the medical facility. 

The other driver was also critically injured and was transported by helicopter to a medical facility. The driver’s current condition has not been released.

The names of the drivers are being withheld at this time to notify the family.  The Wisconsin State Patrol is conducting a crash reconstruction, which is why Highway 51 remains closed.  

The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Oneida County Medical Examiner’s Office, Minocqua Fire Department, Hazlehurst Fire Department, Oneida County Ambulances, Lifelink, and Aspirus Medicvac.

The crash remains under investigation. There’s no word on when Hwy. 51 will reopen.

The Pilot often relies on reports from police officials in control of a crime, fire or crash scene during a breaking news event. While these initial reports are valuable to readers, they also can be incomplete and even inaccurate. We let readers know what we can and can’t confirm, as well as when and how we received our information. Then we work to aggressively gather a wider range of perspectives and to verify the information through public records, interviews, photos and videos, all of which are verified before publishing. If you have any questions about our breaking news reporting, email us at [email protected].