Man Found Dead After Pursuit Ends in Marathon County

A man was found dead Tuesday afternoon after a pursuit by local law enforcement that began in Lincoln County and ended with a crash in Marathon County.

According to the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance at about 12:15 p.m. after a vehicle being pursued left Lincoln County on County Highway K and entered Marathon County.A short time later, law enforcement learned the vehicle had crashed near the intersection of County Highway K and Rainbow Drive in Marathon County. Deputies from the Marathon County and Lincoln County sheriff’s offices responded to the scene and found the driver dead inside the vehicle.

The Wood County Sheriff’s Office has been asked to lead the investigation, with assistance from the Portage County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin State Patrol Technical Reconstruction Unit.

Authorities say all deputies directly involved in the incident were wearing body-worn cameras and were operating fully marked squad cars equipped with in-car camera systems. The Marathon County and Lincoln County sheriff’s offices are cooperating with the investigation, and deputies directly involved have been assigned to administrative duties in accordance with agency policy.

The sheriff’s office says the scene is secure and there is no threat to the public.

Southbound traffic on County Highway K is being rerouted to County Highway FF and then to County Highway O while the investigation continues.

Authorities have not released the identity of the man or additional information about what led to the pursuit. The investigation remains ongoing.