DARLINGTON — A crash Sunday night in Fayette Township left a New Glarus man dead and a woman in the hospital.
Just before 7:30 p.m. on May 19, a 2022 Honda UTV carrying two occupants was northbound on County F near Yellowstone State Park when it lost control and entered the west ditch, according to Nick Webster, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Warden.
When the vehicle left the road, it went down an embankment and rolled over several times. A 40-year-old male was ejected from the vehicle and later died, Webster said.
Lafayette County Sheriff Reg Gill identified the victim as Dustin P. Matzke, 40, New Glarus.
A second occupant, Meghan L. Budish, 44, New Glarus, was flown from the scene by MedFlight to a hospital in Madison. Her condition was unknown by press time.
“Seatbelts and helmets were not utilized,” Webster said.
Budish was flown from the scene by UW MedFlight to UW Hospital in Madison. Matzke was transported to Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County where he was pronounced dead as the result of the injuries he suffered in the crash.
Two helicopters were initially requested, with the first one arriving a short time later and landing at the intersection of County F and County G, just south of the Yellowstone Lake Shooting Range, taking the female victim to a hospital in Madison. The second medical helicopter was ultimately canceled when Matzke was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County while receiving CPR.
Lafayette County Sheriff’s Deputies, Darlington Fire and Lafayette County EMS were among the responding agencies. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources was also contacted and responded to the crash scene. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wardens have taken the primary role in the ongoing investigation of this crash, with the assistance of the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office. Webster said the investigation is ongoing.
Less than 10 minutes after the fatal crash was called in, a second ATV crash miles away near South Wayne left another man injured.
At 7:36 p.m., South Wayne Fire and First and Green County EMS responded to County D in Wayne Township for an ATV accident. Josue Salazar, 32, Belvidere, Illinois, was traveling eastbound on the Cheese County Trail on a 2005 Arctic Cat ATV when he lost control and went into the ditch.
Salazar was transported with minor injuries and the ATV was driven from the scene with minor damage.