Officials identify man killed in Door County crash

DOOR COUNTY, Wis. (WBAY) - UPDATE 9/27:

Officials have released the name of a man who was killed in a crash in Door County.

The Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as Richard F. Straubel, 78. He lived in both Cape Coral, Florida, and Ephraim in Door County.

On Sept. 21, at about 2:43 p.m., the Door County Sheriff’s Office was called to a crash on State Highway 42 north of Walker Road in the town of Sevastopol.

Deputies found Strabuel’s SUV with “heavy damage” in the west ditch. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the only person in the vehicle.

Deputies located another SUV in the west ditch. The driver, Tracy C. Ahola, 60, Egg Harbor, was airlifted to a Green Bay hospital. His passenger, Kimberly J. Ahola, 53, Egg Harbor, was taken by ambulance to Door County Medical Center.

The Sheriff’s Office says Straubel was traveling north on the highway when he crossed the centerline and hit the rear tires of the trailer of a semi that was traveling south. After striking the trailer, the vehicle hit an SUV that had pulled onto the shoulder to avoid the initial crash.

The crash remains under investigation.

UPDATE 9/22

A 78-year-old Florida man was killed in a crash in Door County Wednesday.

At about 2:43 p.m., the Door County Sheriff’s Office was called to a crash on State Highway 42 north of Walker Road in the town of Sevastopol.

Deputies found an SUV with “heavy damage” in the west ditch. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the only person in the vehicle.

Deputies located another SUV in the west ditch. The driver, a 60-year-old man, was airlifted to a Green Bay hospital. His passenger, a 53-year-old woman, was taken by ambulance to Door County Medical Center.

The Sheriff’s Office says the Florida man was traveling north on the highway when he crossed the centerline and hit the rear tires of the trailer of a semi that was traveling south. After striking the trailer, the vehicle hit an SUV that had pulled onto the shoulder to avoid the initial crash.

State Highway 42 was closed until about 8 p.m. Wednesday.

No names were released.

The Brown County Medical Examiner’s Office will be conducting an autopsy on the deceased driver.

INITIAL REPORT

Highway 42 is back open north of Sturgeon Bay after what the sheriff’s office called a multi-vehicle crash.

The sheriff’s office is not releasing details about the crash at this time, and indicated information may not be available until Thursday morning.

What we do know is that the crash was reported a little after 2:30 Wednesday afternoon. The Door County Sheriff’s Office closed all lanes of Highway 42 from the 42/57 split (near The Mill Supper Club) to County Highway P (near the Door 44 Winery). That’s about a mile-and-a-half stretch.

The DOT said the highway reopened shortly after 8 P.M.