Woman dies in Washington County accident



WASHINGTON COUNTY -- A 51-year-old Appleton woman suffered fatal injuries when she got out of her vehicle following a collision and was struck by another vehicle that slid in to her on a slippery stretch of Washington County highway Friday afternoon.

The victim, identified as Cheryl Mahloch, was found lying on the road by a Washington County Sheriff's deputy in the southbound lane on a stretch of Highway 41 and Highway 45 north of Holy Hill Road in the Village of Richfield about 2:13 p.m. Friday.

She was later pronounced dead after being transported to Community Memorial Hospital in Menomonee Falls.

A preliminary investigation indicated Mahloch.was struck by another car whose driver had lost control on the snow covered road. Mahloch was positioned near the rear of her vehicle when the other car slid into her.

The investigation suggests Mahloch had previously been driving southbound on the highway when her car left the roadway, entered the median and struck a barrier cable on the driver's side. She then drove the car out of the median and parked it on the median shoulder of the roadway. Some time after that, she got out of her car.

The driver of the other car, a 26-year-old Milwaukee woman, was transported to Community Memorial Hospital via ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.

It was the first vehicle fatality of the year in Washington County.

Southbound Highway 45 and the far left lane of Highway 41 in the area of the accident wereclosed for about four hours for the rescue and investigation.