7/25/11 – Another car has crashed into the Beaver Dam River. City Police Sgt. Matt Riel tells us it happened at 3:14am Saturday morning in the exact same location that has seen three accidents in the past year alone, including one that happened one year ago today (Mon). Riel says an 18-year-old Beaver Dam woman crashed through the railings of the Madison Street Bridge at the intersection of Ryan Cantafio Way. The car was later spotted by an off-duty police officer, who saw the suspected driver enter a nearby vehicle. After calling it in, the off-duty officer followed the vehicle and led police to their location. After questioning, the woman allegedly admitted to driving into the river. A preliminary breath test was reportedly point .135. There was one witness who told police that the woman was speeding before the accident. There were no other passengers and the teen did not require EMS transport.
On July 25, 2010, a 58-year-old Beaver Dam woman was rescued from the same location after she failed to negotiate the same curve, crashed through the railings and landed upside down in the river. The police officers, firefighters and bystanders who helped rescue her were all given commendations. This time, authorities say the river was much lower – not even knee deep.
On February 6 of this year, a 34-year-old Mayville man was arrested for OWI after a similar crash. A witness and two police officers helped the driver out of the river after a 28-year-old female passenger had swum to safety. The driver, Epifanio Ochoa-Hernandez, was charged with OWI – Causing Injury. A bench warrant was issued after he failed to appear on those charges back in May.
