Marshfield man killed in Linwood crash

Metro Wire Staff

The Portage Co. Sheriff’s Office said on Tuesday that a 73-year-old man died in an early-morning Linwood crash.

Emergency crews responded to State Hwy. 66 near County Hwy. PP in the Town of Linwood at 7:23 a.m. on Aug. 28 to find a 2005 PT Cruiser in a ditch.

The sole occupant, Dennis Hetchler of Marshfield, was unresponsive and despite life-saving measure, died at the scene.

The initial investigation showed the Cruiser was traveling east on Hwy. 66 approaching a curve in the roadway. The vehicle left the paved portion of the highway and entered the north ditch, where it struck the side of a driveway.

There have been four previous fatal crashes in Portage County in 2018, with two of them occurring in the month of August.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by both the Portage County Sheriff’s Office
and the Portage County Coroner’s Office.

The Wisconsin State Patrol and the Rudolph Fire and EMS also responded to the scene.