Names Released: Teen Critically Injured as Pickup Collides With Semi in Lafayette County

A 19-year-old Illinois driver suffered critical injuries Friday afternoon after his pickup truck collided with a semi-tractor trailer in Lafayette County.

The crash occurred at 2:43 PM on March 27th at the intersection of County Trunk Highways KK and DD and South Prairie Road in the Town of Gratiot, according to the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities say Jeremy A. Eicher, 19, of Orangeville, Illinois, drove a 2004 Chevrolet Silverado eastbound on South Prairie Road. He failed to stop at a posted stop sign and entered the intersection directly into the path of a northbound semi.

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Jimmy Lee Klenz, 48, of Brodhead, Wisconsin, drove the 2007 Kenworth semi-tractor trailer. He could not avoid the collision and struck the pickup truck. The impact caused the pickup to roll over before both vehicles came to rest in a ditch at the northeast corner of the intersection. The crash caused severe damage to Eicher’s pickup truck and required a towing service to remove it from the scene. The semi sustained moderate damage and was also towed.

Emergency responders arrived quickly and began lifesaving efforts. First responders and UW MedFlight personnel treated Eicher at the scene before crews airlifted him to UW Hospital and Clinics. Semi driver Klenz also suffered minor injuries. Crews transported him by ambulance to Monroe Hospital and Clinics, where medical staff treated and later released him.

Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, including local fire departments, EMS providers, law enforcement, highway crews, and the Wisconsin State Patrol. Authorities are currently investigating the crash.