1 dead, 1 injured after accident in La Crosse County

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By Brittany Schmidt - email

LA CROSSE COUNTY (WKOW) – The Wisconsin State Patrol responded to a fatal accident early Saturday morning.

Authorities responded to a one-vehicle crash at 3:24 a.m. on CTH U near Huhn Road east of Bangor.

Authorities said there were two occupants within the vehicle. Travis M. Yonkie, 23-year-old from Sparta, died in the crash. Yonkie was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident. Cody L. Kirkeng, 23-year-old from Sparta, suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to Gundersen Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse.

The Wisconsin State Patrol said the driver of the vehicle lost control and went slightly off the north side of the roadway. The vehicle came back onto the roadway and then crossed lanes, landing in the south side ditch.

Authorities said the vehicle hit an embankment and rolled or flipped at least two times before coming to a rest on its passenger side. Authorities said the roof of the vehicle hit and came to rest against the back end of a semi trailer that was legally parked in a privately owned parking lot.

Officials said one occupant was thrown from the vehicle and sustained fatal injuries as a result. The other occupant was trapped inside the vehicle, was extricated and taken to a nearby hospital.

The crash remains under investigation by the Wisconsin State Patrol.