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Driver killed in Hwy 61 truck accident
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A 19-year-old rural Gays Mills man was killed in a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Highway 61 and County X in the Town of Clayton on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013 at approximately 8:45 p.m., according to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department.

Ryan T. Watters was driving a 1992 Chevy S10 truck westbound on X in the Town of Clayton. As the small pickup entered 61, it was struck by a 2000 Ford F-350 driven by Daniel Sandvick, 49, DeSoto.

Sandvick’s pickup truck had one passenger, Derick Suiter, 32, Viroqua. The Ford F-350 was towing a 1990 Dodge truck northbound on 61, when it struck the driver side of Watters’ Chevy S10.

Both trucks became engulfed in flames and entered the southbound lane striking the guardrail for several feet. The trucks then continued down the roadway and came to a stop in the middle of 61. The highway was closed for approximately 4.5 hours to reconstruct the accident.    

Sandvick and Suiter were transported to Vernon Memorial Hospital with minor injuries and were later released. Watters suffered fatal injuries from the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Assisting the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department at the scene were the Gays Mills Fire Department, the Soldiers Grove Fire Department, the North Crawford Rescue Squad, a Wisconsin State Patrol accident scene reconstruction expert, Bob’s Towing, Crawford County Coroner Joe Morovits, the Crawford County Highway Department, and Digger Don’s Towing. The Viroqua Police Department and Vernon County Sheriff’s Department also assisted.  

This accident remains under investigation at this time, according to Crawford County Sheriff Dale McCullick.