Separate Lincoln County crashes leave 2 dead

Two accidents over the holiday weekend in the Town of Bradley near Tomahawk have left two people dead.

The first occurred Wednesday, Nov. 22 and was a two-vehicle accident resulted in the death of a 78-year-old male. The second occurred Sunday, Nov. 26 after a vehicle left the roadway and landed in a creek. 

According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, it received a 911 call around 1:30 p.m. last Wednesday, reporting a two-vehicle head-on crash at the intersection of U.S. Highway 8 and Rapel Road north of Tomahawk. 

Authorities say, according to their preliminary investigation and witness statements, a pick-up truck driven by the 78-year-old male was traveling eastbound on U.S. 8 when it crossed the centerline and struck an oncoming utility work truck. The driver of the pickup was pronounced dead at the scene while the three occupants of the work truck, all men, received only minor injuries. 

A portion of U.S. 8 was closed for approximately 5 1/2 hours Wednesday as a result of the accident. Several agencies, including the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office and Oneida County EMS, assisted at the scene.

The second accident was reported at 7:23 p.m. Sunday as a passerby observed a vehicle overturned in Skanawan Creek on County Highway S south of Tomahawk. After locating the driver inside, life-saving measures were attempted, but the driver was pronounced dead at the scene by Tomahawk Ambulance. Authorities believe the vehicle was traveling northbound on County Highway S when it left the road for unknown reasons and flipped into the creek. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department noted it was unclear how long the vehicle had been in the creek prior to the accident being reported and that the crash is still under investigation. 

The names of both victims were being withheld as of press time, pending the notification of family.