Truck-car crash blocks I-94 bridge early Saturday

A crash involving a car and a semi-truck on I-94 in Hudson early Saturday morning resulted in the closing of the westbound bridge of the freeway forcing travelers to be rerouted on Highway 35 north and across the Stillwater bridge.

The Wisconsin State Highway Patrol said a car driven by Ronald Mickschel, 29, of Woodbury, Minn., entered I-94 on from Hwy. 35 going west and lost control of his vehicle. A semi driven by Robin Scott Gilliland, 37, of Rush City, Minn., crashed into him and rolled over on its side.

The patrol said the semi blocked the westbound lane of the freeway from about 1 to 5:30 a.m. Gilliland's truck was owned by Roehl Transport, Inc. and he was carrying paper products. He was taken to the Hudson Medical Center for treatment of an arm injury. He was treated and released said officials at HMC. Mickschel was not injured, according to the report.

The patrol issued a citation to the driver of the car for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and a citation to the truck driver for driving too fast for the load he was hauling.

The accident occurred 517 feet west of Hwy. 35 at 1:01 a.m., the report said.