GREEN LAKE COUNTY, WI — A two-vehicle head-on crash on Highway 73 in southern Green Lake County left a 43-year-old man dead and another driver seriously hurt Friday morning. The collision happened north of County Highway X before sunrise, drawing a fast response from deputies, ambulance crews and firefighters.
The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office E911 Center received the 911 call around 5:10 a.m. Emergency crews reached the scene within minutes, and first responders found one occupant of a northbound white minivan pulseless and not breathing. Despite life-saving efforts, that man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Deputies and ambulance crews arrive within minutes of the 5:10 a.m. call
Southern Green Lake County Ambulance Service arrived at 5:19 a.m., followed by Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies at 5:22 a.m. The quick response did not change the outcome for the man in the minivan, who was declared deceased at the crash scene after bystanders and emergency personnel tried to revive him.
Officials have not released the name of the man who died. The sheriff’s office said he was 43 years old and was riding in the northbound minivan when the head-on impact occurred. No other occupants were inside either vehicle, limiting the crash to the two drivers involved.
Pickup driver taken to Waupun Hospital with severe injuries
The second vehicle, a white Ford pickup truck, was driven by a 36-year-old man who survived the crash but suffered severe injuries. An ambulance transported him to Waupun Hospital for treatment shortly after responders reached the scene.
Authorities did not say which driver crossed the center line or what led to the collision. The investigation remains active, and officials have only confirmed that the crash involved a northbound minivan and a Ford pickup truck meeting head-on on Highway 73.
Multiple agencies joined the emergency response before dawn
Several local and regional agencies helped secure the scene and care for the injured driver. Along with the sheriff’s office and Southern Green Lake County Ambulance Service, Markesan Fire, Berlin Ambulance Service-Princeton Unit, Markesan Emergency Management and the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office Drone Unit all responded.
The Wisconsin State Patrol and the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office are also assisting Green Lake County deputies with the investigation. That broader response suggests officials are treating the case as a serious crash investigation, with multiple agencies helping gather information from the roadway and vehicles.
Highway 73 was detoured for hours after the wreck
The crash forced Highway 73 to close while investigators and cleanup crews worked the scene. The Green Lake County Highway Department set up a detour to move traffic around the area north of County Highway X.
Crews did not reopen the road until 9:55 a.m., leaving the highway closed for several hours during the Friday morning commute period. The closure affected travel through southern Green Lake County while officials documented the collision and cleared the roadway.
What officials have confirmed and what remains under investigation
So far, the sheriff’s office has confirmed the time, location and vehicles involved, along with the death of the 43-year-old minivan occupant and the severe injuries suffered by the pickup driver. No other injuries were reported.
Investigators have not said whether speed, distraction, weather or another factor played a role. For now, the case remains focused on reconstructing how the two vehicles came together on Highway 73 and why the early morning trip ended in a fatal head-on collision.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
