Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
A rollover SUV accident in Shawano County this week was preceded by a confrontation between two men that might have involved a knife, police reports show.
Shawano County Sheriff’s Department reports state that a knife was found inside one of two vehicles involved in the possible road-rage incident Wednesday afternoon along County Road BE in the town of Wescott.
It was not immediately clear, however, who brandished a knife, if anyone, as investigators continue trying to piece together the incident.
One motorist, identified as Jeremy Young, 42, of Hortonville, was ejected from his vehicle when it rolled over into a ditch about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday after the two vehicles had been seen travelling alongside each other southbound on County Road BE.
Young, who was driving a red 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee, was taken away by ambulance and later flown to Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah. A hospital spokesman on Friday declined to release any information about Young’s status or condition as a patient.
Riding as a passenger in Young’s vehicle was his 21-year-old daughter, who suffered only minor injuries in the crash.
According to police reports, the other motorist was Young’s estranged wife, Sheri L. Young, 40, of Shawano. She was driving a white 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee and was traveling with a passenger identified in police reports as her boyfriend, Craig Roberts, 42, of Shawano.
With court records showing that Roberts is a convicted felon, officials said he was being held in the county jail Friday under a parole agent’s order.
Sheriff Adam Bieber said investigators believe Jeremy Young and Craig Roberts have an adversarial relationship that might have precipitated a confrontation leading to the traffic incident.
“They don’t get along at all,” Bieber said.
Sheri Young was taken into custody in handcuffs Wednesday after witnesses reported that she had left the scene of the accident. But she was later released without charges while police tried to piece together what happened.
According to police reports, Sheri Young told investigators she kept driving to get away from her estranged husband, and that she and her passenger stopped a short time later to call police.
“She stated that Jeremy was mad at her boyfriend,” the reports state. “She was afraid that Jeremy would still be following them.”
The situation began earlier in the day when, according to reports, Sheri Young and Craig Roberts seemed to be having an argument, so Jeremy Young and his daughter followed them in traffic. At one point, Jeremy Young jumped out of his vehicle and pounded on the other vehicle’s window where Roberts was riding as a passenger.
According to witnesses, the two SUVs later were heading south on County Road BE when the red Cherokee pulled onto the shoulder and drove up alongside the white Cherokee. The two vehicles then collided, sending the red Cherokee off the road and tumbling down into a ditch.
Police reports indicate that the vehicle might have rolled over as many as four times before coming to rest upside-down after the driver had been ejected.
One witness reported seeing Jeremy Young extend an arm out of his red Cherokee holding something that appeared to be a knife moments before the two vehicles collided. Bystanders found an empty knife sheath in a ditch at the accident scene. When police questioned Young, he told them a “filet knife” belonged in the sheath but he did not know where it was located.
When officers later searched Sheri Young’s vehicle, they reported finding “a silver folding knife” in the center console.
Police told Roberts there were reports that he had been waving a knife, which he denied.
“Craig stated that the knife belonged to Sheri,” police reported, “and that he did not own a knife.”
Investigators hope to wrap up the case soon and go to the Shawano County district attorney’s office with any recommended charges.