Man charged in crash that killed infant

MARINETTE — The driver in a crash in the town of Grover last year in which an 8-month-old girl died has been charged with a felony.

Michael A. Galbraith, 46, Coleman, is charged with homicide by intoxicated use of vehicle — restricted controlled substance. He also faces two misdemeanor charges of operating under the influence of a restricted controlled substance, both of those while having a passenger less than 16 years old. There were two children in his vehicle at the time of the crash — a 14-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl. Neither was injured.

Galbraith is scheduled to appear in Marinette County court at 3 p.m. June 26 for a preliminary hearing and arraignment. Judge Nancy Kallgren will preside, according to online court records.

Alana C. Price, 8 months, Oconto, died Oct. 10, 2023, at Children’s Wisconsin, a hospital in Milwaukee. She was restrained in a child safety seat in the back seat of a car driven by her father, Cody J. Price, 30, when a collision occurred at an intersection of Kamm Road and U.S. 41 in the Town of Grover, according to a Marinette County accident report.

The accident happened at 4:33 p.m. Oct. 6 across from the Eagle Express Truck Stop, N2536 Kasal Lane. Cody Price’s black Kia Optima was traveling south approaching Kamm Road when a white Toyota Camry driven by Galbraith started to make a left turn to proceed north on U.S. 41, entered the highway and and drove into the path of Price’s vehicle.

Galbraith was cited for inattentive driving shortly after the crash. He was transported to Aurora Medical Center — Bay Area in Marinette. Cody Price was transported to Green Bay, while Alana was stabilized in Marinette and then flown to Milwaukee. Following surgery in Green Bay, Cody was able to obtain transportation to Milwaukee to be with his family, according to a Facebook post from his wife, Carly, a nurse at Aurora Medical Center — Bay Area in Marinette.

Shortly after the crash, veteran emergency responders on social media called the intersection “Death’s Door” and “Deadman’s Curve.” They and others called for something to be done at the intersection.

Marinette County Sheriff Randy Miller agreed. “I support that,” he told the EagleHerald at the time. “I feel there needs to be change there, and we need to make it safer.”

Shortly after the accident, a petition was filed by a town of Peshtigo resident requesting the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT) to make changes at the intersection. A WDOT official told the EagleHerald in January that the safety certification process is underway. He said as the process moves forward, public hearings will be scheduled and residents will be able to provide input.

That same official told the EagleHerald today (Friday) that WDOT is studying the design of the intersection and working out details. They are not quite ready to present a plan and schedule a public hearing, he said.