Posted Saturday, October 17, 2009 --- 2:50 p.m.

Release from the Columbia Co. Sheriff's Office:

On Saturday October 17, 2009 at 6:39 AM the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office received a call on the 911 system that a motor vehicle crash had occurred on Hwy 33 west of I39 in the township of Caledonia involving at least 2 vehicles. Emergency response units arrived on scene and determined that two vehicles had struck one another while traveling in opposite directions on Hwy 33.

One of the vehicles was a piece of self propelled farm machinery to harvest onions which was operated by Allen L Kohlhoff age 61 of rural Portage. The other vehicle, a 1999 Chrysler Town and County, was driven by William J Heim age 59 of Portage. William Heim was pronounced deceased from his injuries on scene by the Columbia County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Observations of the scene have lead investigators to initially believe that Heim was passing another non contact vehicle, both of which were traveling westbound on Hwy 33, when Heim’s vehicle struck the machinery in which Kohlhoff was operating in a easterly direction. No criminal charges are expected to be filed at this time however the incident remains under investigation with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on the scene by the Wisconsin State Patrol, Portage Police Department, Portage Fire Department, Divine Savior EMS, and the Columbia County Medical Examiner’s Office.