9 dead in Wisconsin crash between semi and van

Nine people are dead after a van was struck by a tractor-trailer in an intersection on a Wisconsin state highway Friday, officials said.

Only one person, someone in the van, survived the crash that was reported at 7:53 a.m. in Dewhurst Township, around 45 miles southeast of Eau Claire, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The crash occurred when an eastbound tractor-trailer on Highway 95 hit a van going northbound on intersecting County Road J, the sheriff’s office said.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was killed, and eight of the nine people in the van, including the driver of that vehicle, also died, the office said. They were all pronounced dead at the scene.

Gov. Tony Evers said said on X that he and his wife were saddened by the tragic crash.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of all those involved, as well as the first responders who worked quickly to provide support at the scene,” Evers said.

The surviving passenger of the van was taken to a hospital for treatment, the sheriff’s office said in the statement. Their condition was not announced.

The names of the dead were not released Wednesday night pending notification of next of kin, the sheriff’s office said.

Video from the scene and from the air showed severe damage to both vehicles.

The van was on its side, and the front of the semi was mangled as the big rig and its load lay in a ditch by the highway, partially on its side.