ANTIGO — A local teenager was flown to Wausau Aspirus Hospital after suffering a life-threatening head injury in a car accident on the night of May 12 in the Town of Ackley. The teen is being carefully monitored.
Just after midnight last Saturday, Raymond Crum, 17, was in a vehicle with two other friends traveling west on County Rd. Y when it careened off the road after failing to navigate a sharp left curve just before Beattie Rd. and plowed through a stretch of wire fencing. A wooden fence post flew up, pierced the windshield, and struck Crum’s head, fracturing his skull.
Thursday morning, Crum’s condition remained critical, according to Aspirus Manager of System Communications and Community Engagement Tom Weaver.
According to a preliminary breath test, Thomas Wegner, the 19-year-old that was driving the vehicle, had a .142 blood alcohol level. He has been cited for causing injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle and failure to keep a vehicle under control. Wegner, who also apparently suffered minor injuries, appeared in court from the Langlade County Jail May 13 via Zoom and later was released on a $12,000 cash bond.
Sheriff Mark Westen called the investigation “open and active” and confirmed that when the accident occurred, Crum was in the rear passenger-side seat of the vehicle, which has been impounded by police.
“This was a very serious crash that resulted in life threatening injuries to one of the occupants,” Westen said. “Our office is thoroughly investigating and has already referred the driver of the vehicle to the District Attorney’s Office for a recommendation of applicable charges.”
A friend of the Crum family that spoke with the Antigo Journal on the condition of anonymity said he believes the accident could have been less severe if a guardrail had been at the curve.
“I lived on Y most of my life, within a mile from where that happened,” he said. “It’s just past the river there, the Eau Claire River, and there have been over a dozen accidents there. I’m not saying they were fatal accidents or anything like that, but this is just as horrible as. There should be some kind of guardrail there so that you would hit that rather than the farmer’s fence. This has been an ongoing problem, and someone needs to address it.”
Crum has worked at Two Angels restaurant for the past three years, according to Emma Poch, a waitress there who spoke of him in glowing terms.
“He’s an excellent worker. He’s a good kid. It’s definitely a shame. He’s friendly, gets along with everybody, friendly, opinionated, and brilliant. He’s a smart, smart kid,” Poch said. “Everybody’s just scared but can’t wait for him to come home. That’s my main thing — I just want him to come back. I know it will take time, but everybody that I’ve told is very upset.”
James Ramer, a regular who was sitting at the counter Wednesday morning, immediately knew of and complimented the 17-year-old as well.
“He has so much potential — I can really sense that in him,” Ramer said. “He had a good sense of humor and he is a good worker. And he thought — he really thought — which is unusual for teenagers.”
Justin Eldridge, the owner of Eldridge’s Top Notch Towing, responded to the scene, which he said was “not a good sight.”
“The wood from that fence is what came through the windshield,” Eldridge said. “Part of the fence was still tangled up in the windshield too. The firemen, when they were there, they had to cut some of the wood off of there to get the fence off of it. It was like a wire, metal fencing, and it was tangled up in the windshield too. But the amount of board that was in that car made it real difficult trying to maneuver it and get it loaded.”
Eldridge said he brought his own teenage son to the scene as a lesson.
“I’m real protective of him, and when they told me it was an accident like that, I wanted him to come with just to see what the outcome can be,” Eldridge said. “Telling somebody is one thing, but then actually coming up on something like that and seeing everything the way it looked, hopefully that will stay with him for a while.”
The friend of the Crum family characterized Crum as an exceptional young person and called on community members to keep he and his family in their prayers.
“He’s so well-known in this town,” he said. “He is loved by so many people. So many young people have been to the hospital already just wanting to gain access and haven’t been able to…Everybody needs to know. Prayers need to be sent out, good thoughts. There’s rumors that he’s already passed away and they’re online as well. It’s the social media that’s so horrible about it and saying, ‘This boy’s died already.’ We need people thinking positive and sending him positivity, not writing him off. No way. Not at 17.”
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