On March 8, 2024, a deadly collision occurred at a highway intersection in Wisconsin, claiming nine lives and critically injuring one. The crash involved a semi-trailer truck hauling milk and a van.
The incident took place in Dewhurst Township, west central Wisconsin, at the intersection of Highway 95 and County Road J. An eastbound semi on Highway 95 collided with a northbound van on County Road J shortly before 8 a.m. The semi veered into a ditch, ejecting the driver, while the van was found ablaze and overturned, with seven passengers ejected and two found inside.
The lethal crash claimed the lives of the van’s driver and eight passengers, as well as the semi’s driver. A single passenger from the van survived and was transported to a nearby hospital.
Seven victims hailed from an Amish community located in Burke’s Garden, Tazewell County, Virginia.
While the Clark County Sheriff’s Department has yet to officially disclose the identities of the victims, a hotline established by the community has released the names and approximate ages of eight victims:
The van’s driver, James McCoy of Pounding Mill, Virginia, was approximately 45 years old. The deceased passengers include Linda Byler, 44; her daughters Lydia Byler, 24, and Ellen Schrock, 23; Ellen’s husband Orlah Schrock, 24, and their 6-month-old daughter Judy Rose Schrock; Delilah Schrock, 21, Orlah’s sister; and Suzanna Hertzler, 18. The sole survivor, around two years old, was named Micah Schrock. A fundraiser is underway to aid the families affected by the tragedy.
The semi’s driver, identified as Daniel Liddicoat, 51, was a trucker and manager of his family’s milk-trucking business in Iowa County, Wisconsin, and a former high school girls’ basketball coach.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers expressed his condolences on social media, stating, “Kathy and I are deeply saddened by the fatal crash in Clark County, which tragically claimed nine lives today. Our hearts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of those lost, as well as with the first responders who acted swiftly at the scene.”
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s records, the accident has set a grim record, surpassing Clark County’s annual death toll in any year since 2019. This incident, with its nine fatalities, ties the record for the second deadliest crash in Wisconsin’s history. A comparable tragedy occurred in Manitowoc County in 1937, as reported by Wisconsin Watch.
The ongoing investigation into the crash is being supported by the Wisconsin State Patrol and coordinated with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
The fatal collision resulted in the closure of nearby roads for several hours, as authorities established detours around the crash site. The public was urged to avoid the area until the investigation concluded and the roads reopened.
