Traffic Fatality On Highway 78 in Lafayette County

The Lafayette County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a traffic fatality on Highway 78 in the Town of Blanchard. 73 year old Eugene Dinger of Beloit was pronounced dead shortly after 3:50pm on Wednesday. Damage to a guardrail on the southbound side of Highway 78 had been reported. A Deputy’s investigation of the damaged guardrail led to the discovery of a vehicle submerged in the East Branch of the Pecatonica River west of the bridge, just north of the damaged guardrail. The Blanchardville Fire Department and EMS along with the Argyle Fire Department were paged to the scene. Once rescue personnel were able to reach the vehicle, it was discovered the driver was still inside the vehicle and was deceased. A further investigation of the crash revealed that sometime during the overnight hours of December 6th, or early morning hours of December 7th, a vehicle driven by Dinger, was traveling north on Highway 78, when the vehicle crossed over the southbound lane of traffic before striking the guardrail end. The vehicle then traveled behind the guardrail and sent airborne before landing in the river. Dinger was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lafayette County Coroner’s Office . The crash remains under further investigation by the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office