OFF THE WIRE
A 25-year-old Hilbert man will face a homicide charge for allegedly driving his car into 10 motorcycles Thursday afternoon in Fond du Lac County.
The suspect was in fair condition at Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah, Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Dean Will said Friday.
One motorcyclist is dead and nine people were injured in the multi-vehicle crash on Highway 151 north of Fond du Lac. The Sheriff’s Office said the driver’s car crossed the centerline and into the path of 12 motorcycles around 3 p.m. between Gladstone Beach Road and Welling Beach Road in the Town of Taycheedah. Two of the cycles were not hit.
The motorcyclists, all males, are from Michigan. Daniel Lee Winsemius, 59, of Twin Lake, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Charges of felony bail jumping and homicide by negligent use of a motor vehicle will be referred to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office, Will said. The Hilbert man, who was driving his mother’s car, will be taken into custody once he is released from the hospital.
A sample of the man’s blood will been sent to the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, Will said.
“It’s customary to send in the blood. But we have belief that there may be other conditions that may have contributed to the crash,” Will said.
The man has criminal convictions on drug-related offenses and a burglary. He also has more than four operating with a suspended license traffic offenses, according to online court records.
During a news conference Friday afternoon at Theda Clark, a doctor described one of the three critically injured motorcyclists as a “miraculous save” after he went into cardiac arrest inside a helicopter.
“He underwent CPR on the helicopter,” Director of trauma Dr. Ray Georgen said. “He was shocked on the way from the helicopter to the trauma room. He was shocked in the hallway. He was shocked in the room. Things were not looking good, but he pulled it out.”
All of the motorcyclists were wearing helmets.
“There is no doubt in my mind that there would have been more fatalities associated with this if people did not have helmets on,” Georgen said.
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The injured motorcyclists are:
• Eric Charles Vandam, 52, of Muskegon, Mich., is in critical condition at Theda Clark Medical Center.
• Douglas Wayne Williams, 58, of Muskegon, Mich., is in critical condition at Theda Clark Medical Center.
• Douglas Allan Yonkers, 43, of Muskegon, Mich., is in critical condition at Theda Clark Medical Center.
• Marvin John Vanderkolk, 63, of Fruitport, Mich., was treated and released from St. Agnes Hospital.
• William Brad Groom, 57, of Muskegon, Mich., was not injured.
• Garry Lee Ferris, 52, of Muskegon, Mich., is at St. Agnes Hospital. His family is not releasing a condition update, said a hospital spokesperson.
• Leland Roe Johnson, 58, of Muskegon, Mich., is at St. Agnes Hospital. His family has opted to not release any information, said a spokesperson.
• Lawrence Charles Monroe, 59, of Muskegon, Mich., was treated and released from St. Agnes Hospital.
• Paul Czekus, 57, of Ravenna, Mich., was treated and released from St. Agnes Hospital.
• Guy Vernon Weersing, 58, and Mark Steven Messany, 51, both of Muskegon, Mich., were traveling with the group and were not involved in the crash.
Amy Puls, a registered nurse with Flight for Life, said the crash scene looked like “a bowling alley with a bunch of bowling pins that were actually motorcycles.”
“Putting that aside and just focusing on your patient is difficult, but you have to do it,” she said. “You have to step up. That’s your job.”
Puls made two flights to transport patients to Theda Clark.
Georgen praised the efforts of passers-by, paramedics, police officers, firefighters, flight personnel and the trauma team to deal with the magnitude of the crash and injuries.
“I’m told there were passers-by who were stabilizing necks and putting blankets on people who were involved in the crash,” he said.
The families of the motorcyclists have set up a fund at PNC Bank in Grand Rapids, Mich., under the name MMG Motorcycle Tragedy. Donors can contribute at any PNC Bank.
“There’s a groundswell of ‘How can we help the families and individuals involved in this crash,’” Georgen said.
Georgen said the motorcycle victims would be in the intensive-care unit “for extended periods of time.”
The injured motorcyclists are:
• Eric Charles Vandam, 52, of Muskegon, Mich., is in critical condition at Theda Clark Medical Center.
• Douglas Wayne Williams, 58, of Muskegon, Mich., is in critical condition at Theda Clark Medical Center.
• Douglas Allan Yonkers, 43, of Muskegon, Mich., is in critical condition at Theda Clark Medical Center.
• Marvin John Vanderkolk, 63, of Fruitport, Mich., was treated and released from St. Agnes Hospital.
• William Brad Groom, 57, of Muskegon, Mich., was not injured.
• Garry Lee Ferris, 52, of Muskegon, Mich., is at St. Agnes Hospital. His family is not releasing a condition update, said a hospital spokesperson.
• Leland Roe Johnson, 58, of Muskegon, Mich., is at St. Agnes Hospital. His family has opted to not release any information, said a spokesperson.
• Lawrence Charles Monroe, 59, of Muskegon, Mich., was treated and released from St. Agnes Hospital.
• Paul Czekus, 57, of Ravenna, Mich., was treated and released from St. Agnes Hospital.
• Guy Vernon Weersing, 58, and Mark Steven Messany, 51, both of Muskegon, Mich., were traveling with the group and were not involved in the crash.
Amy Puls, a registered nurse with Flight for Life, said the crash scene looked like “a bowling alley with a bunch of bowling pins that were actually motorcycles.”
“Putting that aside and just focusing on your patient is difficult, but you have to do it,” she said. “You have to step up. That’s your job.”
Puls made two flights to transport patients to Theda Clark.
Georgen praised the efforts of passers-by, paramedics, police officers, firefighters, flight personnel and the trauma team to deal with the magnitude of the crash and injuries.
“I’m told there were passers-by who were stabilizing necks and putting blankets on people who were involved in the crash,” he said.
The families of the motorcyclists have set up a fund at PNC Bank in Grand Rapids, Mich., under the name MMG Motorcycle Tragedy. Donors can contribute at any PNC Bank.
“There’s a groundswell of ‘How can we help the families and individuals involved in this crash,’” Georgen said.
Georgen said the motorcycle victims would be in the intensive-care unit “for extended periods of time.”
• Eric Charles Vandam, 52, of Muskegon, Mich., is in critical condition at Theda Clark Medical Center.
• Douglas Wayne Williams, 58, of Muskegon, Mich., is in critical condition at Theda Clark Medical Center.
• Douglas Allan Yonkers, 43, of Muskegon, Mich., is in critical condition at Theda Clark Medical Center.
• Marvin John Vanderkolk, 63, of Fruitport, Mich., was treated and released from St. Agnes Hospital.
• William Brad Groom, 57, of Muskegon, Mich., was not injured.
• Garry Lee Ferris, 52, of Muskegon, Mich., is at St. Agnes Hospital. His family is not releasing a condition update, said a hospital spokesperson.
• Leland Roe Johnson, 58, of Muskegon, Mich., is at St. Agnes Hospital. His family has opted to not release any information, said a spokesperson.
• Lawrence Charles Monroe, 59, of Muskegon, Mich., was treated and released from St. Agnes Hospital.
• Paul Czekus, 57, of Ravenna, Mich., was treated and released from St. Agnes Hospital.
• Guy Vernon Weersing, 58, and Mark Steven Messany, 51, both of Muskegon, Mich., were traveling with the group and were not involved in the crash.
Amy Puls, a registered nurse with Flight for Life, said the crash scene looked like “a bowling alley with a bunch of bowling pins that were actually motorcycles.”
“Putting that aside and just focusing on your patient is difficult, but you have to do it,” she said. “You have to step up. That’s your job.”
Puls made two flights to transport patients to Theda Clark.
Georgen praised the efforts of passers-by, paramedics, police officers, firefighters, flight personnel and the trauma team to deal with the magnitude of the crash and injuries.
“I’m told there were passers-by who were stabilizing necks and putting blankets on people who were involved in the crash,” he said.
The families of the motorcyclists have set up a fund at PNC Bank in Grand Rapids, Mich., under the name MMG Motorcycle Tragedy. Donors can contribute at any PNC Bank.
“There’s a groundswell of ‘How can we help the families and individuals involved in this crash,’” Georgen said.
Georgen said the motorcycle victims would be in the intensive-care unit “for extended periods of time.”
