UPDATE: Red Wing woman killed, two airlifted in Pierce County crashes

Saturday proved a dangerous day on western Wisconsin roads, where two serious-injury crashes left a Red Wing woman dead and two people, including her husband, seriously injured.

According to Pierce County sheriff’s deputies, the first crash occurred at 1:44 p.m. on Highway 35 near the Warrentown Wayside, just west of Maiden Rock. A woman driving a minivan slowed for a vehicle ahead of her that was turning into the scenic overlook.

As the driver, identified as 45-year-old Jolleen Maxwell, slowed, her Dodge Caravan was rearended by a motorcyclist. The motorcycle driver, Ross Peterson, 56, St. Paul, was fully ejected during the crash. He was airlifted by North Memorial Air Ambulance and taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he was listed Sunday in good condition.

The second crash happened at 4:20 p.m. at 610th Avenue and 610th Street in Ellsworth Township, where Pierce County deputies said an eastbound vehicle driven by George Kristo, 86, Red Wing, failed to stop for a stop sign at the intersection and collided with a northbound vehicle.

The passenger of the eastbound vehicle, Virjean Kristo, 80, was pronounced dead at the scene; George Kristo was airlifted from the scene and taken to Regions Hospital where he was listed Sunday in serious condition.

Both occupants of the northbound vehicle, 59-year-olds Steven and Deborah Pommer, of Stillwater, Minn., were injured and transported by ambulance to River Falls Area Hospital. Their conditions were not known Sunday.

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