James Harms Obituary, Death;- A local man tragically lost his life in the first of two ATV/UTV accidents that occurred last Sunday night in Lafayette County, just 20 minutes apart.
In the deadly incident, which took place shortly before 4 p.m., a man riding a three-wheeled ATV lost control of the vehicle near Wis. 11 and Phillips Lane. Officials reported that he was thrown from the ATV as it veered off the trail.
“It appears that he simply lost control,” stated Troy Loeffelholz, chief deputy/undersheriff for the Lafayette County Sheriff’s office. “Medflight (helicopter) was called… and it did arrive, but the flight surgeon and coroner declared (the victim) dead at the scene.”
The victim was identified on Monday as James Harms, 51, from Monroe. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.
The second crash occurred around 4:20 p.m. — near 14700 County F — involving a Polaris UTV and a 2025 Toyota, as per police reports.
“Kyle A. Brunkow, 44, from Darlington, was traveling south in his Polaris on CTH F and attempted to turn into a driveway. At that moment, a 2025 Toyota, driven by Greg A. Schulte, 65, also from Darlington, attempted to overtake the UTV and collided with it,” according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
Loeffelholz noted that no serious injuries were reported, and no one was transported to the hospital following that crash.
However, Brunkow was arrested for operating a UTV while intoxicated — 2nd Offense, and was taken to the Lafayette County Jail, where he was booked and subsequently released.
Darlington Fire and Lafayette County EMS responded to the incidents. The Darlington Police Department and personnel from the Wis. Dept. of Natural Resources also provided assistance at the scene, as reported by Loeffelholz.
While he was uncertain if all individuals involved in the two accidents were wearing safety helmets, Loeffelholz emphasized that for those who wish to ride on trails or ATV routes, it is an essential piece of equipment.
“That, and I would advise (riders) to always adhere to the posted speed limit,” he remarked, noting that in Lafayette County, as in many other counties in Wisconsin, the limit is set at 30 MPH and is strictly enforced.
To date, there have been 27 fatal ATV/UTV incidents in Wisconsin.
