TOWN OF YORK — One day after a Freeport woman was killed in an accident just miles from her home, another crash resulted in the death of a Blanchardville man also just miles from home.
Tyler H. Hodgson, 25 of Blanchardville, was pronounced dead at the scene Aug. 27, after being ejected from his truck following a rollover crash. His name had been withheld pending notification of family until being released by the Green County Sheriff’s Office Aug. 30.
Hodgson’s vehicle was traveling southbound on Wis. 78 near the N9300 block in the Town of York when it exited the roadway and entered the west gravel shoulder, then reentered back onto the roadway before entering entered the east ditch, down an embankment and ultimately overturning multiple times. The vehicle came to rest after striking a fence.
The vehicle, 2004 Fort F350 pickup, sustained severe damage and the airbags did not deploy. It was towed from the scene.
Hodgson was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Responding agencies included Green County Sheriff’s deputies, New Glarus Police, Blanchardville Police, Blanchardville EMS, and Blanchardville Fire Department.
The Green County Highway Department assisted at the scene with traffic control and establishing a detour. The roadway was shut down for approximately four hours.
The crash remains under investigation by the Green County Sheriff’s Office and Green County Coroner. This was Green County’s fifth fatal motor vehicle crash of 2021.
The accident came just one day after Kathy M. Rinehart, 47 of Freeport, was killed in a two-vehicle accident on U.S. 20 west of Salem Road, just outside of Eleroy, Illinois, between Freeport and Lena.
Preliminary investigation by the Illinois State Police District 16 indicates a 2008 Dodge Caravan driven by Dennis Koester, 63 of Lena, was eastbound on U.S. 20, while Rinehart was westbound. Koester crossed the center line, causing a head-on collision with Rinehart’s 2013 Hyundai Elantra at approximately 5:50 a.m.
Koester was transported by helicopter to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Rinehart died at the scene.
U.S. 20 was closed in both directions for 3.5 hours for the traffic crash investigation. No further information was available by press time.
