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USH 151 jumper rescued by law enforcement
Bridge was seen of plunge, two-vehicle accident
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    Law enforcement and emergency responders found themselves responding to a two-vehicle accident while on the scene of rescuing a woman who jumped from the USH 151 Bridge crossing the Mississippi River from Wisconsin to Iowa Thursday.


    On May 25, at approximately 9:10 a.m. the Grant County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a female that had jumped off the bridge in Jamestown Township on the Wisconsin side.


    Several witnesses stated the female parked her vehicle on the bridge, took her jacket off, and then jumped over the concrete railing into the water below. The woman was approximately 20 feet from the shoreline, clinging onto a tree. 


    Emergency personnel responded from land and water.  A Grant County Deputy and a Dubuque Police Officer were able to descend a steep cliff and locate the female.  Both officers removed their gear and were able to get halfway out to the female.  They had a long branch and were able to get her to hold on as they pulled her to shore.  Moments later, East Dubuque and Dubuque Fire departments arrived in their rescue boats.  The female subject was transported by boat to a nearby boat landing and then transported via East Dubuque EMS to a Dubuque hospital for evaluation. 


    There were no apparent injuries reported.  The Grant County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Fire Department, East Dubuque Police Department, East Dubuque Fire Department, and East Dubuque EMS.  BNSF suspended rail traffic during the incident.


    While emergency personnel were resolving the jumping incident, a two-vehicle crash occurred on the USH 151 ridge in front of officers.  Jessica Welch, 24 Platteville, was traveling southbound in her SUV when her vehicle was rear-ended by a car driven by Scott Wiest, 46, Lancaster. 


    There were no injuries and everyone was wearing their seatbelts.  Wiest vehicle sustained front end damage and the Welch vehicle sustained rear end damage.  Wiest will be cited for inattentive driving. 


    The Grant County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind all motorists to move over and slow down when approaching emergency vehicles.