by Peter Weix Obituary, Death – On Friday morning, there was a three-vehicle accident on State Highway 69 approximately.1 mile south of Highland Drive, which is located north of the Village of New Glarus. One person from New Glarus was killed, and two other people from New Glarus were injured. On the morning of Friday, January 13, 2023, at 8:10 a.m., the Green County Sheriff’s Office received many calls to 911 reporting a three-vehicle accident on State Highway 69, a little more than one mile north of the Village of New Glarus, that had caused injuries. Deputy sheriffs, New Glarus Emergency Medical Services, New Glarus Fire, Belleville Fire, Green County Emergency Medical Services, Fitch-Rona Emergency Medical Services, and two helicopters from the University of Wisconsin Medical Flight were all sent to the incident.
According to the findings of the preliminary investigation, Peter J. Weix, age 57, of New Glarus was driving a Volkswagen Beetle while traveling north on State Highway 69. He was following a Toyota Rav4 SUV driven by Ruth A. Zuber, age 61, who was also from New Glarus. After what appears to have been a successful attempt to overtake the Toyota on the right shoulder, the Volkswagen allegedly slipped broadside in front of the Zuber vehicle after it had completed the move and was then struck broadside by the Toyota Rav4. Following this, the Volkswagen drove into the path of a southbound Subaru Legacy automobile driven by Joyce A. Jensen, who is 62 years old and lives in New Glarus. The collision that ensued sent both vehicles careening onto the west shoulder of the highway, while the Toyota came to rest in the northbound lane of State Highway 69.
The Green County Coroner determined that Peter Weix had passed away at the scene of the accident, despite the efforts of the First Responders who were on the scene. Joyce Jensen, who was found to have critical injuries, was airlifted to a hospital in Madison by a Med Flight helicopter, whereas Ruth Zuber did not immediately seek medical treatment after the accident. There was a deployment of the airbags in all three vehicles, and it was believed that all three drivers were wearing their safety belts. It did not appear that the conditions of the road were a factor in what caused the accident.
The Green County Highway Department responded by deploying employees and barricades to the area of the accident in order to redirect traffic while the Wisconsin State Patrol aided by sending a collision reconstruction team to the scene. The roadway was stopped for almost six hours, but it is anticipated that it will reopen in the middle of the afternoon on Friday.
The mishap, which resulted in the first fatality due to a traffic accident in Green County in 2023, is still being looked into.
