September 6, 2024, at 9:10 p.m., the Barron County Sheriff’s Department 911 center received a call of a two vehicle crash just south of Haugen on Hwy SS.
Deputies from the Barron County Sheriff’s Department along with Rice Lake Fire Department, Marshfield Medical Center Ambulance, WI State Patrol and Life Link Helicopter all responded to the scene.
Initial investigation shows a head on crash occurred, causing one vehicle to roll over and start on fire. The other vehicle traveled about ¼ mile down the road before coming to a stop. Passerby’s got 2 people out of the vehicle on fire and Rice Lake Fire extracted another person from the other vehicle. The driver of the vehicle on fire, John Schuebel, 60 of Cameron was pronounced deceased at the scene, the passenger in that car, Jill Becker, 39 of Rice Lake was injured but refused any medical treatment and was released. The driver of the other vehicle Steven Anderson, 45 of Rice Lake, was flown to an Eau Claire Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.
The crash in under investigation by the Barron County Sheriff’s Department and is being reconstructed by the WI State Patrol. This case remains under investigation but it is believed that the Anderson vehicle crossed the center line and struck the Schuebel vehicle. Alcohol appears to be a contributing factor.
