1 critically injured after crashing into a semi in Barron County

The driver of a vehicle was flown to a hospital late Thursday night after striking a stopped semi-truck on Highway 53 just north of Rice Lake in Barron County, Wisconsin.

According to Barron County Sheriff’s deputies, initial investigation findings show a semi had stopped on the side of the road while another vehicle was traveling southbound. This vehicle then crossed the fog-white line, crossed the rumble strips and struck the back of the semi. The driver of the vehicle, a 37-year-old man from Appleton, was flown to an area hospital in critical condition. The 23-year-old driver of the semi was not injured.

Highway 53 was closed for five hours as a result of the crash. The Wisconsin State Patrol is reconstructing the accident and the crash remains under investigation by the state patrol and the Barron County Sheriff’s Department.