MONROE — Families around the stateline region are grieving after a slew of area accidents claimed the lives of three people — two of which were area teenagers.

“It’s so sad. We’re sorry that our community is going through this over and over again,” said Jeff Skatrud, Green County Sheriff, adding that the string of fatal crashes has been emotionally taxing on his staff and other first responders. “I don’t remember that many separate incidents in a week over the course of my career.”

All three men, ages 29, 18 and 17, died in separate accidents. Adam P. Buckler, 29, of Davis, Ill., was in an accident along the Illinois border in the Town of Spring Grove on Saturday, Oct. 21. He succumbed to his injuries the following day. Aaron Doyle, 18, of Brodhead, was pronounced deceased at the scene of his crash on Oct. 23 at the intersection of Wis. 11 and County GG, also in the Town of Spring Grove. On Oct. 25, Carson P. Buholzer, 17, of Monroe, died when he failed to negotiate a curve at the intersection of Theiler and Freeport roads in the Town of Jefferson. 

In all three crashes, speed was a contributing circumstance. All three crashes remain under investigation as well, with the Wisconsin State Patrol gathering data from the vehicles, and Rock County assisting with crash reconstructions.

“Over the course of my career, people have been driving way too fast. Speed is often a contributing factor,” Skatrud said. “We just have to keep delivering the message, and try to do what we can to slow people down, but at the end of the day, it’s still up to the driver.”

Buckler’s accident came as he crossed the border from Illinois into Wisconsin. He failed to stop at a stop sign at Stateline Road from Best Road in Illinois. He collided with an embankment on the north side of Stateline Road, went airborne and rolled numerous times before the vehicle came to a rest and burst into flames. Buckler was transported from the scene by medical helicopter to an area hospital, but died a day later.

Doyle had recently received his motorcycle permit and was driving eastbound on Wis. 11 on a new 2024 Kawasaki ZR900 sport bike. At just before 7:30 p.m., he attempted to make a left hand turn onto GG, but was hit by an oncoming 2023 Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by Rudy Bennett, 49, of Monticello. 

Bennett, traveling westbound on Wis. 11, was the lone occupant in the pickup and sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The motorcycle sustained severe disabling damage. The pickup sustained disabling damage with airbag deployment. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.  

Green County Sheriff deputies, along with Brodhead Police Department, Brodhead Fire Department, and Brodhead EMS, were dispatched to the scene. The sheriff’s office was assisted by the Rock County Sheriff’s Office (crash reconstruction unit) and the Green County Highway Department (traffic control). The roadway remained closed for approximately five hours.

The intersection of Wis. 11/81 and County GG has seen its share of fatal crashes over the years. It is the second fatal accident at the spot this year alone, with a man recently killed in May. In 2021, three men were killed at the intersection in an accident involving a semi. In 2020, a Brodhead woman was killed there.

“That intersection is where two state highways and a county trunk road converge — with turn lanes. It is marked as well as it can be, but it still causes issues,” Skatrud said. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation put up flashing lights prior to the intersection on Wis. 81 westbound. Skatrud said the county has asked for further improvements, but admits “everything is incredibly expensive to reconstruct.” Still, he said he hopes WisDOT has future plans to improve it.

“It’s tragedy after tragedy there. Six deaths in just the last three years. It’s disconcerting,” Skatrud said.

The most recent crash came Wednesday, Oct. 25. According to a press release from the Green County Sheriff’s Office, a call came in to dispatch at about 3:21 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25, reporting a single vehicle accident with suspected injuries. It was determined that the crash had likely happened hours earlier on the low-trafficked rural road. By the time emergency personnel — including Sheriff’s deputies, along with the Juda Fire Department and Green County EMS — had arrived on scene, Buholzer, the driver, had died. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Green County Coroner’s Office.

Initial investigations revealed that a black 2007 Subaru Impreza was southbound on Freeport Road, where it failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway, entered the south ditch and struck a tree. The vehicle sustained disabling damages with airbag deployment and was towed from the scene.

The Green County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Green County Highway Department (traffic control). 

Buholzer was a senior at Monroe High School and had just wrapped up the boys soccer season, and was set to compete with the boys hockey team this winter as a defenseman. Word began to spread through district students and staff Wednesday night, and he was publicly identified Thursday. There will be a visitation for Buholzer from 4-8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31 at Saint Victor Catholic Church in Monroe, with a funeral the following morning at 11 a.m.

“The community, District, and high school community have experienced a tragic loss of one of our students,” Monroe Superintendent Rodney Figueroa wrote in an email to district families, staff and students Thursday morning. “We respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time. Additional support and resources begin to grieve the loss of their friend and student. If your child is in need of support, please reach out to your building office for direction on how to receive support. If you are personally connected, it is our sincere hope you are able to be with those who will provide what you need at this difficult time.”