Sheds light on the tragic vehicle collision that gripped the community just last week. On the evening of November 26, a severe crash occurred on I-43 at State Highway 33 in the Town of Saukville, involving multiple vehicles and resulting in both fatalities and injuries. The Sheriff's Office has confirmed 71-year-old Thomas Paine of Johnson Creek, WI, as the deceased driver of a Mercedes Sprinter Van. The incident also left 29-year-old Elizabeth Long from Racine, WI, and 36-year-old Luke Reynebeau from Chicago, IL, injured. Their respective vehicles, a Ford Fusion and a Subaru Forester, were significantly damaged in the collision, according to a recent update from the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office.
The updated report provides further information about those involved in the crash. Michael Schulz, 36, of Chicago, IL, was injured while riding in the front passenger seat of the Subaru Forester. Amid the tragedy, authorities noted one encouraging detail: a 1-year-old child who had been seated in the back of the Subaru was unharmed, offering a small measure of relief following the devastating incident.
The driver of the semi-tractor trailer, 49-year-old Jose Velazquez Medina of West Allis, WI, managed to escape injury. However, he has since been cited with Failure to Maintain Control of a Vehicle and Illegal Crossing of a Divided Highway. These allegations paint a broader narrative of responsibility and repercussions, as investigators continue to carefully deconstruct the chronology of the event. The Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office statement reports, "This crash remains under investigation pending the results of the crash reconstruction and toxicology testing of the semi-tractor trailer driver."
The Sheriff’s Office did not provide any indication of what may have caused the crash, though the reference to pending toxicology results signals that investigators are examining all possible factors. As the community awaits answers, the reality remains that a family has been forever changed by the death of Thomas Paine, while others continue to recover from the injuries sustained amid the wreckage that unfolded on the roadway that night.
