The first Lafayette County traffic fatality of 2012 occurred on Thursday, May 17, when a Mineral Point man died from injuries sustained when his vehicle collided with a semi-tractor trailer.
According to the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department, at approximately 9:34 a.m. on May 17, the sheriff’s department received a report of a serious vehicle crash on Hwy. 11 at the intersection of Co. E in the town of Shullsburg. Sheriff’s dispatchers notified Shullsburg Fire and EMS as well as the Wisconsin State Patrol to respond. In addition, Darlington Fire was dispatched under mutual aid.
Chief deputy John Reichling reports that Thurman E. Taylor, 45 of Mineral Point, was driving his car northbound on Summit Road, crossing Hwy. 11 to Co. E, when he apparently did not see the semi westbound on Hwy. 11. The semi driver, Jerome A. Vogel, 69 of Monroe, attempted to avoid contact but was unable to do so and struck Taylor’s vehicle directly in the passenger side, pushing the vehicle down the road.
Taylor was declared deceased at the scene by Lafayette County Coroner Virginia Douglas. Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. Vogel was not injured.
Sheriff Scott Pedley said responding units were on the scene for several hours.
In 2011 there were four fatal crashes in which five people died.