Crash claims Wrightstown trucker

Posted at 10:15 a.m. on October 26, 2018

The Brillion News

RACINE – A crash early Thursday morning involving two semi-trailer trucks took the life of a Wrightstown man.

The Racine County Sheriff’s Office has identified the operator of the truck, who died at the scene, as Mark Gerard Verheyen, 61, of Wrightstown.

Lt. Shawn Barker said the fatal crash investigation is ongoing.

The crash happened just before 3:40 a.m. on October 25. The Racine County Communications Center received calls about a semi truck on its side in the northbound lanes of I-41 to the south of State 11, across from the Apple Holler Orchard and Restaurant.

The truck was blocking both lanes and up against the median wall. Deputies arrived on scene to find an accident involving two semi-trucks, with one of the trucks on its side.

Once on scene, deputies determined that this was a fatal accident.

Initial investigation shows that one of the vehicles was stopped on the roadway, possibly due to a flat tire. The other semi-truck struck the stopped vehicle resulting in the stopped truck to flip onto its side. The driver of the stopped semi was transported to Ascension Racine Hospital.

Verheyen was the operator of the truck that hit the disabled semi, and he was found deceased in the cab of his truck, according a statement released by Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling.

The interstate was closed to traffic in both directions for several hours, with detours over frontage roads.