Poor weather conditions in western Wisconsin early Wednesday kept a medical helicopter from getting to the scene of a single-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a motorist, authorities said.
The wreck occurred about 1:45 a.m. on County Road B roughly 7 miles northeast of Menomonie, according to the Dunn County Sheriff's Office.
The driver was a 22-year-old man, and the Sheriff's Office said it believes alcohol played a role in his vehicle leaving the road and hitting a tree. His identity has yet to be released.
According to the Sheriff's Office, a call to 911 was initiated by the vehicle's OnStar system, pinpointing for authorities the location of the crash scene and giving emergency responders the quickest possible start.
A rescue helicopter also was requested by authorities to respond but was "unable to fly" due to low cloud cover, rain and limited visibility, a Sheriff's Office statement read.
"In this situation," said Sheriff's Sgt. Travis Mayer, "it would not have changed the outcome."
The driver was taken by ground ambulance to a hospital in Menomonie, where he died.
PAUL WALSH
