Pregnant Woman and Fetus Die in Rollover Accident on Highway 51

TOWN OF LEEDS, Wis. (Channel 3000) - A pregnant woman and her fetus died in a rollover accident on Highway 51 north of DeForest Thursday morning, according to Channel 3000.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a report of a crash at 7:19 a.m. in the town of Leeds. The vehicle rolled multiple times and one person was trapped in the vehicle.

According to the report, rescue personnel found one of the occupants dead. The other occupant was out of the vehicle and walking.  The male passenger was taken to UW hospital with minor injuries.

The sheriff's office said it learned later that the driver who was killed was pregnant. Med Flight doctors responded but found the fetus was also dead.

The name of the victim was withheld Thursday pending notification of family, officials said.

Speed was a significant factor in the crash, sheriff Dennis Richards said in a news release.

The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin State Patrol are investigating the crash.

A portion of Highway 51 was shut down for approximately 3 hours. The Columbia Highway Department helped with the traffic detour. The road reopened Thursday afternoon.