1 dead in Iron County UTV crash

By RICHARD JENKINS

rjenkins@yourdailyglobe.com

Hurley — A utility terrain vehicle crash in Iron County Friday night killed one woman and had a man sent to the hospital, the Iron County Sheriff’s Office announced the next day.

Iron County Emergency Dispatch received a call reporting the crash with a woman under water at 8:42 p.m. Friday, but was unable to get a specific location about the scene of the crash from the initial caller, Iron County Sheriff Paul Samardich said in a news release Saturday.

Deputies — along with members of the Hurley Fire Department-snowmobile rescue, Mercer Fire Department, Mercer Ambulance-snowmobile rescue, Beacon Ambulance and Department of Natural Resources — began a search of the general area in an attempt to locate the crash site.

The dispatch center received a call from a passerby at approximately 9:59 p.m., according to Samardich, reporting the crash to be on Trail 13 in the town of Pence.

Those responding to the scene located a UTV partially submerged off the trail. Samardich told the Daily Globe it appeared the UTV slid off the roadway and overturned into the water.

The male driver was transported from the scene by ambulance. Iron County Coroner Diane Simonich pronounced a female passenger dead at the scene.

Samardich later identified the woman as Vicki A. Bruneau, 60, of Kenosha, Wisconsin. The driver was her husband, David Bruneau.

The sheriff’s department and DNR continue to investigate the crash. Although alcohol was involved, Samardich said it was too early to determine the extent it had to do with the crash.

“The Iron County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend its sincere gratitude to all the departments that responded, as well as the two Good Samaritan snowmobilers that assisted in locating the crash and rendering aid at the scene,” Samardich said.