A quiet stretch of State Highway 83 near Wheatland turned into a disaster zone on May 2, when a fiery head-on collision left two sisters critically injured and drew in responders from multiple agencies. One car went up in flames, Flight for Life helicopters were called to the scene, and firefighters spent close to an hour cutting through wreckage to free a trapped occupant.
Kenosha County prosecutors have now charged 19-year-old Tegan Cox with two counts of injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle and two counts of causing injury while operating under the influence. A court commissioner set her cash bond at $50,000, and she is due back in court on June 5, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee. The victims were identified as sisters Chloe, 22, and Olivia, 24. Their mother, Theresa Stoen, told reporters the family is just trying to survive the aftermath, saying, “It’s one day at a time. Just one day at a time, that’s all we can do.” Stoen said the family is facing mounting medical bills and that an online fundraiser has been launched to help cover the costs.
Local first responders called the crash scene “significant and complex,” with two people found lying in the roadway and a third trapped in a mangled vehicle that took crews nearly an hour to access. Two of the patients were airlifted by helicopter to a Milwaukee hospital, while a third was transported by ambulance, according to WISN 12 News.
Heroic Rescue and Criminal Complaint
Before firefighters arrived, a passerby jumped into action and pulled a woman from a burning car just moments before it became fully engulfed. That dramatic rescue was first noted in early local coverage and later confirmed by area outlets. Updated reports say the woman pulled from the wreckage was later identified as the driver now facing charges. A criminal complaint alleges she admitted to drinking alcohol and using cocaine earlier that day; WGTD reported the rescuer’s account and the complaint details.
Charges and Legal Context
The counts filed against Cox fall under Wisconsin statutes covering injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle and causing injury while operating under the influence. According to the Wisconsin State Law Library, those offenses are treated as serious felonies that can bring prison time and driver’s license consequences if a defendant is convicted. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will now move through arraignment and preliminary hearings before any decision is made about going to trial.
Cox is scheduled to return to court on June 5 as the case proceeds through the Kenosha County system, and prosecutors say the investigation is still active. FOX6 News Milwaukee reported the charging and bond information now at the center of the case.
