Two Vehicle Crash with Injury and Entrapment in Grant County

On January 25th at approximately 7:07am, the Sheriff’s Office was notified of a two-vehicle crash with entrapment and injuries at the intersection of Stage Road and Aupperle Road in South Lancaster Township. The initial investigation found that Lois Fernette, age 61 of Prairie du Chien, was operating a 2017 Jeep Cherokee eastbound on Aupperle Road. Andrea Krogman, age 36 of Prairie du Chien, was a front seat passenger in Fernette’s vehicle. Jeffrey Reuter, age 67 of Lancaster, was operating a 2022 Chevy Silverado towing an empty utility trailer southbound on Stage Road.

Fernette was unfamiliar with the road and realized too late that she was approaching a stop sign. Fernette braked late, but ultimately failed to stop at the stop sign at the intersection of Stage Road and Aupperle Road. Fernette entered the intersection directly into the path of Reuter’s truck. The front of Reuter’s Silverado struck Fernette’s Jeep on the driver’s side. Both vehicles then left the roadway and entered the ditch on the southeast corner of the intersection. Both vehicles went through a barbed wire fence and came to a rest in a field.

Airbags were deployed in both vehicles. Fernette was trapped in her vehicle and needed to be extricated. Fernette and Krogman were both transported via ambulance to Grant Regional Health Center. Fernette sustained serious, but non-life threatening injuries and Krogman sustained minor injuries. Reuter was uninjured in the crash and refused transport after being evaluated at the scene. Both the Silverado and Jeep received disabling damage as a result of the crash. Fernette was issued a citation for Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign. The Lancaster Fire Department, Lancaster EMS, the Lancaster Police Department, and Arrow Towing assisted at the scene.