Victim in carriage crash has died

MARSHFIELD - One of the people who suffered critical injuries when a truck crashed into the horse-drawn wagon he was riding in has died, according to a hospital spokesman.

A 31-year-old Vesper man died at Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield, according to the spokesman. The man was one of two occupants of the wagon who were thrown from the wagon when it was hit. The other person in the wagon, a 10-year-old Vesper boy, remained in critical condition as of midday Sunday, the spokesman said.

The two were airlifted to the hospital Friday evening. The wagon they were in was traveling north on Wood County HH near Hayes Lane in the town of Hansen when it was hit from behind by a pickup truck that was also traveling north on the highway, according to the Wood County Sheriff's Department.

The 31-year-old Necedah man driving the pickup did not require medical treatment, according to a press release. Police believe that alcohol was a factor in the crash. The rear of the wagon did not have lighting, which police also believe is a factor. The crash is still under investigation.

Authorities have withheld the names of the victims. They should be released Monday.