A Burlington woman had to be extricated from her SUV on Wednesday afternoon after a Chevrolet Malibu drifted into oncoming traffic and collided with her head-on at high speeds, causing the passenger in the Malibu to sustain fatal injuries, the Racine County Sheriff announced in a statement.
The Malibu driver was 31-year-old Dakota J. Morand from Johnsburg, Illinois who was driving his 32-year-old girlfriend from Kenosha. Morand was driving northbound on S. Pine Street near Schaal Road in Burlington when he drifted into the oncoming traffic. The Burlington woman attempted to swerve out of the way but ended up colliding with the Malibu at high speeds.
The 61-year-old Burlington woman had to be extricated after her legs got trapped. She received medical treatment at the scene and was transported to the hospital for further treatment.
Despite the efforts, including a Flight for Life response, the 32-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
Morand was initially transported to the Burlington Memorial Hospital where the investigating deputies obtained a warrant to have the hospital staff conduct a blood draw to be sent to the Wisconsin Crime Laboratory for analysis after initial investigations suggest Morand was impaired at the time of the crash.
Moran was later transported to Froedtert Hospital for further treatment due to the severity of his injuries.
"This was a violent and entirely preventable crash," Racine County Sheriff Christopher Shmaling said in the statement. "An innocent woman lost her life, and another victim is seriously injured because someone chose to get behind the wheel while impaired. These decisions have devastating, irreversible consequences. We will hold the driver fully accountable, and we will continue to aggressively pursue those who endanger our community through impaired driving."
The investigators are submitting charging recommendations to the Racine County District Attorney's Office for Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Motor Vehicle and Operating While intoxicated causing Great Bodily Harm.
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