Officers and firefighters in Rock County, Wisconsin responded to a catastrophic multi-vehicle crash on an icy highway. A snow plow struck a car and split it completely in half, triggering a multi-casualty incident. As responders worked to secure the scene, officers tried to determine exactly what happened and whether everyone survived. Early witness accounts were fragmented, but key details began to surface. Victims were moved into squad cars to stay warm while fire and rescue focused on the trapped driver.

Fire crews raced to free a man pinned beneath the front wheel of a vehicle. Initial assumptions placed him as the driver of the car that had been torn in half. Other involved parties were accounted for and asked to remain in their vehicles. Officers coordinated statements and checked nearby fields to ensure no one was missed. The plow truck and multiple cars were positioned across the roadway and ditch, complicating the scene.

Witnesses reported the black car fishtailed due to ice and clipped the front of the plow with its rear end. The impact spun the vehicle and severed it, sending the back half flying into the field while the front half stopped in the road. Another eastbound car, traveling without lights in low visibility, then struck the front half. Responders confirmed the driver had exited the wreckage moments before the second impact. That collision threw both the front half and the driver into the field, trapping him beneath it.

Deputies spread out to search the area for additional victims or debris. They marked the second half of the car in the field and rechecked the roadway. The scene remained chaotic but organized as more units arrived. Statements from multiple drivers aligned: the fishtail, the plow’s wing contact, the split, and the secondary collision. The timeline clarified the sequence without suggesting intoxication as a cause.

With the immediate rescue complete, officers conducted field sobriety tests to verify no one was under the influence. The male driver from the BMW reported a couple of drinks earlier in the night, followed by several diet sodas. He completed an eye exam, walk-and-turn, and one-leg stand without issues. A preliminary breath test registered 0.012, well below Wisconsin’s legal limit of 0.08. He was cleared to go, and OWI was ruled out for the night.

Investigators summarized the crash: a right turn onto the highway led to fishtailing on ice. The passing plow struck the car, splitting it in half, sending the rear into the field and leaving the front in the roadway. The driver in the front section initially remained unharmed and exited. A second vehicle, unable to see the unlit wreckage, hit the front half, launching it and the driver into the field and pinning him. Firefighters freed him and transported him to the hospital.

Authorities independently confirmed that all involved parties survived. Records also confirmed that no drivers were under the influence at the time. Under Wisconsin law, drunk driving is a non-criminal offense for the first three offenses, though the state still faces high drunk driving fatality rates in the Midwest. Weather conditions, visibility, and speed margins all played roles in this incident. Choosing caution—slowing down, staying behind the plow, using lights—can be life-saving in winter.

On highways, danger isn’t just about speed; it’s about the moment you believe the danger has passed. Ice steals traction, low visibility steals time, and metal doesn’t care who did everything right. One bad angle or unseen movement can reset the rules in an instant. Defensive driving is survival math: sometimes staying inside your vehicle is safer than stepping out. Crashes don’t end at impact—often, the deadliest moment comes after you think you’ve survived.