News 03.22.18
23 March 2018 News
A review of the records show most of the fatal traffic crashes on Fond du Lac County roads last year involved elderly drivers. Sheriff’s captain Ryan Waldschmidt says the average age of the driver in seven of the ten fatal crashes in Fond du Lac County last year was 78, and five of the crashes were due to failure to yield at a stop sign or failure to yield right of way. The local data follows a new national study that shows Wisconsin has the highest rate for fatal crashes involving elderly drivers in the country despite having a lower percentage of older drivers compared to many states. Waldschmidt says two common factors in crashes involving older drivers include not being able to fully turn their head to look for oncoming traffic and slower reaction time. In addition Waldschmidt says elderly drivers’ health is more fragile so they’re more likely to have serious or fatal injuries in a crash.
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Fond du Lac County hires an interim medical examiner as a search for a fullt-time replacement continues. The county board this week voted to appoint the office operations manager Daniel Krieser to the post. County executive Al Buechel says while Krieser is not a doctor and cannot do autopsies he is trained in the field of death investigations. Buechel says the search for a chief medical examiner continues after longtime medical examiner Dr. Doug Kelly announced his resignation.
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The Wisconsin State Patrol says it saw more drugged drivers on the roads and had a significant increase in drug arrests from 2016 to 2017. The State Patrol saw a 20 percent increase in drug arrests during that time period, with fewer than 2,900 arrests in 2016 compared to more than 3,400 last year. A drug arrest involves the possession of illegal narcotics or paraphernalia. The State Patrol also saw an increase in people driving while under the influence of a controlled substance. There were more than 310 drugged driving arrests in 2016, compared to almost 390 last year. State Patrol Lt. Chris Joshka says the increase is partly due to better trained officers and marijuana legalization in other states, such as Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, and Ohio.
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Wisconsin conservationists are expressing opposition to a proposal to draw 7 million gallons of water daily from Lake Michigan for the manufacturing plant Foxconn Technology Group plans to build. The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters sent a petition Wednesday to the Department of Natural Resources with more than 1,800 signatures from people who want the agency to reject the plan. A decision is expected by early May. At issue is an application from the city of Racine to draw lake water to then divert to Mount Pleasant, where Foxconn’s plant will be located. The manufacturing giant plans to make LCD screens for electronics and medical devices. The group that sent the petition to DNR argues the application should be from Mount Pleasant, which would require stricter requirements under the Great Lakes Compact.
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