A tragic head-on crash involving a semi-truck on Route 173 in Wadsworth has claimed the lives of two Wisconsin residents, leaving their community in mourning. The deadly collision happened Thursday morning and shut down a busy stretch of highway for several hours as investigators worked at the scene.
According to Jennifer Banek of the Lake County Coroner’s Office, 51-year-old Kelly Wooten and 45-year-old Jacklyn Bradley, both of Stoughton, Wisconsin, died from blunt force injuries sustained in the crash. An autopsy performed Thursday confirmed their causes of death. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Newport Township Fire Protection District responded around 7:50 a.m. to the 15000 block of Route 173, between North Kilbourne Road and Route 41, after receiving reports of a serious crash with injuries. Firefighter-paramedics arrived to find three vehicles involved, all with heavy damage.
Authorities said Wooten was driving a 2009 Acura sedan eastbound on Route 173, with Bradley as his passenger. Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said witnesses reported the Acura appeared to be weaving and struggling to maintain its lane. The vehicle then drifted into the path of a westbound Freightliner semi-truck hauling about 35,000 pounds. The semi was driven by a 25-year-old man from Evergreen Park.
The Acura and the Freightliner collided head-on. Moments later, a Honda minivan driven by a 54-year-old woman from Salem, Wisconsin, crashed into the Acura following the initial impact. The woman driving the minivan was taken to Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The semi-truck driver was not injured and is cooperating with investigators. The Zion Fire/Rescue Department assisted at the scene.
Route 173 was shut down for hours between Route 41 and North Kilbourne Road while crash reconstruction teams investigated. An officer from the Illinois State Police also responded due to the involvement of a commercial vehicle. The roadway reopened later that afternoon, but the loss of Wooten and Bradley continues to weigh heavily on loved ones as the investigation moves forward.
