UPDATE – A University of Wisconsin-Whitewater student died Jan. 13 from injuries suffered in a vehicle crash on Highway 12 in the Town of Whitewater last week.
Ryan Gellings, 21, of Whitewater, died after his BMW and a 2012 Volvo semi-tractor with a tanker trailer crashed head on at about 10:10 a.m. on Jan. 11. The crash occurred on the Highway 12 bypass east of the South Wisconsin Street overpass, according to the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department.
Gellings, a native of Campbellsport, was taken by ambulance to an area trauma center in critical condition. The BMW was on the east shoulder of the roadway with extensive front-end damage when police arrived, according to the sheriff’s department. The driver of the semi, Marc Tracy, 43, of Carpentersville, Ill., was taken to a local trauma center with moderate injuries. The drivers were the only occupants in the vehicles.
A preliminary investigation revealed the BMW was eastbound on Highway 12 when it crossed the centerline, according to a release from the sheriff’s department. The semi was westbound on Highway 12 and swerved to the right to avoid the collision.
Both vehicles collided head-on in the westbound lane of Highway 12. Debris was scattered across the roadway, and Highway 12 was closed for about six hours in the Whitewater area for investigation and clean-up, according to the department.
A visitation for Gellings is scheduled at Shepard of the Hill Catholic Church, W1562 Highway B, Eden, on Jan. 19 at 2 p.m. with a funeral service starting at 6 p.m. Condolences may be made at twohigfunerals.com.
