A 51-year-old Wisconsin woman was killed Sunday evening after a passenger vehicle struck the motorcycle she was riding on and its driver allegedly fled the scene. The woman, who was from Wild Rose, was riding as a passenger when the deadly collision happened along State Highway 22 in the Town of Belmont, Portage County. Authorities later arrested 30-year-old Jose Zuniga of Wautoma in connection with the crash.
The collision happened around 5:13 p.m. on November 8, near the Waushara County line. According to the Portage County Sheriff’s Office, the motorcycle was involved in a crash with a passenger vehicle. The impact left the woman dead and her husband or companion, who was operating the motorcycle, injured. Authorities have not confirmed any relationship between the two.
The motorcycle’s driver was also 51 years old and lived in Wild Rose. He survived the crash but suffered minor injuries and received treatment at the scene. The woman riding behind him was not as fortunate. She died from the injuries she sustained in the collision.
Investigators said the driver of the passenger vehicle did not remain at the scene. Instead, the vehicle was located a short time later after deputies tracked it down in neighboring Waushara County. Officers stopped the vehicle and identified Zuniga, 30, of Wautoma, as the person behind the wheel.
Zuniga was arrested and transported to the Portage County Jail. He remained in custody Monday morning, November 9, as authorities continued working through the investigation.
The Sheriff’s Office said it is requesting several charges against him, including homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle, hit-and-run causing injury and operating while intoxicated. These are requested charges, and authorities have not confirmed that they have been formally filed.
The identity of the woman who lost her life has not been made public. Her family has not been identified in the information released by investigators. Authorities have also not explained what happened immediately before the motorcycle and passenger vehicle collided.
Several emergency agencies responded to the scene and assisted with the investigation and response. The Wild Rose Fire Department, Aspirus MedEvac, Waushara County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Medical Examiner, Gold Cross Ambulance and Wisconsin State Patrol were among those who assisted.
For now, investigators are working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the collision. What began as a Sunday evening ride ended with one woman dead, another person injured and a driver facing possible serious criminal charges. The Portage County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation remains ongoing.