Monona woman dies after crashing into McFarland retention pond

McFARLAND, Wis. (WMTV) – The driver who suffered serious injuries when her car crashed into a retention pond late last week in McFarland has died, according to the Dane Co. Medical Examiner’s Office.

The medical examiner’s office confirmed Betty Stenjem died at the hospital following the wreck. Its preliminary investigation indicates the 83-year-old Monona woman died from injuries she suffered in the crash last Friday.

At the time, the McFarland Police Department reported Stemjem’s blue Chevrolet Impala went off the road and landed upside down in the pond, which is an offshoot of the Yahara River and runs parallel to Severson Street.

Stemjem was the only person in the vehicle at the time, Chief Aaron Chapin said. Divers from the Fire Department had checked the vehicle while it was still in the water to make sure no one else had been in it.

Emergency crews shut down U.S. 51 briefly as they worked to recover Stemjem’s vehicle. The highway soon reopened; however, Severson Stret remained closed for approximately two hours while the Impala was pulled from the pond.t Severson Street remained closed until around noon while the Impala was being towed from the pond.

Click here to download the NBC15 News app or our NBC15 First Alert weather app.