WINNEBAGO, WI (WTAQ) – Winnebago County Sheriff Officials say a school teacher was the victim of a 100 plus car accident Sunday on Highway 41.
“Our records show that this is the single biggest crash in Wisconsin on record.”
Monday afternoon, Sheriff John Matz released the name of one person killed in Sunday’s crash as 30-year-old Andrew Schefelker of Oshkosh.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Andrew who was a Middle School/High School Science teacher at the Iola-Scandinavia School District.”
Sheriff Matz says the response efforts worked in ways that they trained for, but a crash at this magnitude is difficult to simulate.
“We did exercise our mass casualty plan. EMS and hospitals practice this plan and it was put into place and worked well.”
He says the crash could have been a lot worse, but road safety played a big factor.
“Vehicles now not only have front airbags and side airbags but they are made differently. Safety is the number one concern of our automobile makers.”
Matz says Highway 41 was also constructed in such a way that would increase safety.
“We are fortunate that it was not worse.”
The Sheriff’s Office says it is documenting each vehicle for damage and making sure all occupants have been accounted for.
Busses were brought in to take those who were not injured but couldn’t remove their vehicles from the pileup to nearby businesses and churches to be reunited with their families.
