Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Driver told officers he fell asleep in Kimball mishap

By RALPH ANSAMI

[email protected]

KIMBALL, Wis. - The Lake Nebagamon, Wis., man who rolled his vehicle off U.S. 2 near Little Finland on Saturday has had a bad month behind the wheel.

Lance Adolphson, 46, was transported to Aspirus Grand View Hospital by Beacon Ambulance after his eastbound vehicle veered off the highway and ended up striking some trees around 6 p.m.

After leaving the highway, the vehicle continued over over a private driveway before hitting the trees.

Iron County Sheriff Tony Furyk said Adolphson told officers at the scene he had fallen asleep at the wheel.

It's a busy stretch of highway, near the entrance to the Little Finland Center and the credit union on County Trunk D, and the sheriff said luckily no other vehicle was involved.

Ironically, the sheriff's daughter lives at the private residence where the accident occurred. She said she was not home at the time, but arrived when Adolphson was still in the vehicle. Had the family car been parked in the driveway, it would have been smashed, and anyone outside could have been struck.

On Monday, Adolphson is scheduled to appear in Bayfield County Court on charges of failure to notify police of an accident, driving too fast for conditions and operating a vehicle left of center.

The charges were issued following an April 13 investigation by Bayfield County Sheriff's Department deputy Will Stoychoff, according to court records.

Charges are pending in the Saturday Iron County accident.