Two people dead after vehicle crash near New Richmond

Two people are dead after a crash that happened just before noon on Saturday, according to a news release from the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say they received a call at 11:57 a.m. reporting a crash with injuries in the 2000 block of STH 65 in Star Prairie Township.

First responders then found a 2006 GM Envoy that was driven by 26-year-old Louis T. Lazano from Centuria, Wisconsin. A 2015 Dodge Ram pickup driven by 53-year-old Eric R. Willey from Osceola, Wisconsin was also involved in the crash.

Deputies say the Envoy was traveling north on STH 65 when it crossed the center line and struck the Ram pickup, which was southbound on STH 65.

Both Lazano and Willey were pronounced dead at the scene by the St. Croix County Medical Examiner. The sheriff’s office said that neither men were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.

A 50-year-old woman who was a passenger in the truck driven by Willey was taken to the hospital by ambulance for her injuries. It is not known how severe those injuries are.

St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson released a statement saying “This has been a tragic week that has touched so many families, as we have lost five people on the roadways in St. Croix County in the last six days.”

The crash remains under investigation. The two deaths are the seventh and eighth traffic fatalities reported in St. Croix County in 2022.