Crews struggle to find site of rollover crash
JANESVILLE — Emergency crews tried for nearly a half hour early Friday morning to locate two people injured in a rollover crash 2 miles east of Clinton on Interstate 43.
The passenger in the rolled sport-utility vehicle called 911 from her cell phone. A dispatcher in Walworth County answered the call at 3:01 a.m.
The woman gave the dispatcher an approximate location, and the dispatcher sent emergency crews, but GPS technology at the dispatch center could not pinpoint the crash site. The dispatcher kept the woman on the phone until 3:19 a.m., a spokesperson for the Walworth County dispatch center said.
The woman hung up and called 911 again. This time, a dispatcher in Rock County answered the call at 3:23 p.m. The Rock County center was able to pinpoint the location of the caller using GPS.
Emergency crews arrived within five minutes.
The weather and location of the vehicle hampered rescue efforts, Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper Brandon Ferrell said.
The driver, John Watters, 44, and his passenger, Bonita Wheeler, 45, both of Machesney Park, Ill., were extricated after the roof was cut off, Ferrell said. They were treated and released at Beloit Memorial Hospital.
Watters was driving west at about 3 a.m. when he switched lanes and lost control of his 1995 Ford Explorer at Carvers Rock Road between Darien and Clinton, Ferrell said. The SUV crossed the shoulder and hit the end of a guard rail, breaking off six guard rail posts before rolling twice and landing in the ditch, he said.
Watters will be cited for driving too fast for conditions, Ferrell said.
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By GAZETTE STAFF 11/19/09
Oct 25, 2009 at 11:33 a.m.
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If they were committing a crime, Walworth County would have been there in 5 minutes.
Oct 25, 2009 at 2:10 a.m.
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Gosh ABC, sorry you had such a bad expierence! But so much has change in those 6 or so years. The first time the caller called 911 a tower in Walworth county probably picked up her call, sending it to their dispatch center. So transfering her call to Rock county wouldnt have done much. Hanging up and calling again was her best option, and a Rock county tower picked up the call, sending it to the right dispatch center.
As for why Walworth county couldnt find the callers location, I have no idea. Maybe their system isnt as advanced as Rock county? I'm just guessing.
Oct 24, 2009 at 9:56 p.m.
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I felt like I was reading my own story for a second. I was involved in a rollover about 6 or so years ago-outside of Edgerton area and the 911 folks couldn't find me either! I was hanging from my seatbelt upside down for over 1 hour before I was finally found. Nothing is more scary then being in that situation and not having the resources available to find you. At the time I purposely bought a phone equiped with GPS so when the 911 lady was telling me they couldn't find me I didn't understand! Then she went on to tell me that Rock CO wasn't set up with GPS tracking yet. I'm glad they are now. I hope this person had a better experience w/ the 911 center than I had. They yelled at me on the phone to stop crying and they also let me go... so there I was in my vehicle hanging upside down ALONE! I later sent a letter to the director of the 911 center to address the matter in which he did tell me was done. Still to this day I shiver at the thought of having to call 911 again because it was an awful experience for me. It made me sad when I read the caller had to hang up and recall 911. Why couldn't they transfer the people!!
Oct 24, 2009 at 8:10 p.m.
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send the k9 unit next time,lassie always found timmy!
Oct 24, 2009 at 7:58 p.m.
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Would anyone know why Walworth County's GPS could not locate the cell phone, but Rock County's could?
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