Young mother killed, pregnant woman hurt in crash in Kenosha Co.; Illinois man arrested for OWI



KENOSHA COUNTY -- A young mother was killed and a pregnant woman was injured and airlifted from the scene of a crash in Kenosha County Sunday, February 5th. During the investigation, authorities said a drunk driver injured a deputy who was directing traffic.

The crash happened near the intersection of Highway 83 and Highway C around 6:45 p.m. in the Town of Salem.

Investigators say a northbound Hyundai Accent and a southbound Chevrolet Cavalier collided head-on at that location.

The operator of the Hyundai,  identified as 20-year-old Ann Zavodny from Trevor, was transported by Flight for Life to Froedtert Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Authorities say Zavodny is pregnant.

The driver of the Cavalier, 30-year-old Jennifer Ginter from Bristol, was pronounced dead at the scene. She had an eight-month-old son.



Officials from the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department said they're working to determine whether speed or alcohol were factors in this crash.

"We`re not releasing anything on the cause of the accident because it`s still under investigation," said Sgt. Eric Klinkhammer.

Jennifer and Sherri Ginter



Sherri Ginter



Meanwhile, to cope with the pain of losing her daughter, Sherri Ginter relied on three things Monday -- one of them being her faith.

"It's grace. G-R-A-C-E: God's Riches At Christ's Expense," Ginter said.

Sherri said the other two sources of support are her family, and her phone.

"Thank God for electronics," she said, "I look in my phone all day to see her face, thinking that`s she`s gonna come through, like, I`m gonna wake up."

Ginter woke up Sunday night to knocks from deputies. She learned that her daughter was killed in a crash five minutes away on Highway 83.

Jennifer Ginter



For eight months, Sherri watched her daughter be a mother to eight-month-old Joey.

"They do FaceTime together and we refer to it as 'Mama`s in the box' and Joey has been looking for his 'Mama in the box' all day," Sherri Ginter said, "Every time we pick up her phone, he`s looking for 'Mama in the box.' Mama`s not in the box."

Officials with the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department said that during the investigation of the crash, around 8:15 p.m. Sunday, a driver attempted to go past a traffic control point which was marked with a patrol vehicle and road flares at County Highway JF and Antioch Road. Klinkhammer said the driver nearly struck the deputy. When the deputy moved to the driver's side window, Klinkhammer says the driver kept moving and rolled over the deputy's foot.

Fatal crash in Kenosha County



"He tried to communicate with the driver and the window was closed. He wouldn`t open the door, so he opened the door and that`s when he realized the subject was intoxicated," Klinkhammer said.



The operator of that vehicle, a 65-year-old man from Illinois, was arrested for what his suspected to be his fourth OWI, OWI - causing injury, and operating without a license.



The deputy was taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. He was back at work Monday.

The roadway was closed from the time of the crash until 11:45 p.m.