By Angie Maag
amaag@themonroetimes.com
TOWN OF WAYNE — Separate accidents just 12 miles apart led to the deaths of two men this week.
A crash on Wednesday, Sept. 29 led to the fatality of Timothy Haffele, 64 of Gratiot. That same day, 12 miles south in Illinois between Lena and Winslow, search crews discovered the body of Raymond Balles, 56 of Cedarville, who died in an apparent motorcycle accident nearly 36 hours earlier.
Haffele, with his father Eldon Haffele, 90, in the passenger seat, was traveling westbound on Wis. 11 when his vehicle entered the shoulder, making its way into the grass and embankment area until it struck a tree and came to rest.
The crash occurred at 2:59 p.m. in the 1900 block of Wis. 11, east of the intersection of Meier Road in the Town of Wayne. A witness to the crash aided both Eldon and Tim Haffele until emergency services arrived on the scene. Eldon Haffele was removed from the vehicle and transported to Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County for medical treatment and observation. Tim Haffele was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lafayette County Coroner’s Office.
A small portion of Wis. 11 was closed for a short period of time, with the roadway being opened to one lane of traffic. The road was reopened at approximately 5:45 p.m.
The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by South Wane Fire and South Wayne First Response, Gratiot Fire and Gratiot First Response, Browntown First Response, Green County Sheriff’s Office, Green County EMS, the Lafayette County Highway Department, and the Lafayette County Coroner’s Office.
The crash remains under investigation. Haffele’s fatality is the fourth in Lafayette County, one more than the county’s yearly average.
With winter lying in wait, the sheriff’s department encourages extra precaution on the roads. “With the safety programs and advances in technology, the goal is always zero,” Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Troy Loeffelholz said.
Hours earlier across the Illinois border, at about 9:23 a.m., Balles’ body was found by Stephenson County search crews following his own fatal accident.
Balles was first reported missing around 9 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 27. The sheriff’s department began a search trying to determine Balles’ last known location utilizing resources including a drone, deputies, and investigators walking and searching curves, ditches and heavily wooded areas identified by the Sheriff’s Office.
The search continued into Sept. 29, when Balles was located from the air by a private plane, piloted by a friend. The sheriff’s department was notified of what appeared to be a motorcycle in a field with a person lying nearby north of Lena on Route 73 just north of Louisa Road. Balles was declared dead at the scene.
Early investigation suggests Balles had been southbound Route 73 when his motorcycle left the west side of roadway, striking a large rock and ejecting Mr. Balles from his motorcycle in an area with very tall grass.
Assisting the Sheriff’s Office at the scene was the Illinois State Police, Lena Fire Department, and the Stephenson County Coroner’s Office.
The crashes remain under investigation.