For the City Times

WOOD COUNTY – Four south Wood County residents escaped serious injury in a chain-reaction accident. The crash occurred April 23, just after 5 p.m. on State Highway 73 at Carousel Court in the Wood County town of Saratoga.

According to the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, three vehicles were heading west on 73, when the lead vehicle slowed down to make a left-hand turn onto Carousel Court. The driver of the second car did not observe the lead vehicle slowing down, and slammed on the brakes to avoid collision. The third vehicle—a pickup – rear-ended the second vehicle, causing the truck to go into the oncoming lane of traffic, where it collided head on with an eastbound car.

The drivers of the three cars involved in the collision are identified as Frank Karmolinski, 53, of Wisconsin Rapids; Joshua Collins, 21, of Nekoosa; and Connie Irwin, 52, of Rapids.

A passenger in the vehicle that was rear-ended has been identified as Helen Wilson, 57, of Rapids. She was transported by ambulance for non-life-threatening injuries. One of the drivers was also transported with non-life-threatening injuries. A sheriff’s department release did not clearly define which driver was transported.

Highway 73 was closed between State Highway 13 and County Highway Z for about one hour after the
crash.