Veteran Wisconsin Radio Host Dies in Fatal Crash Along Highway 41, Station Confirms

Facebook (Tom Dernlan), Oconto County Tom Dernlan AKA Tom Craig

Tom Dernlan, a veteran Manitowoc radio host who used the on-air name Tom Craig, is among the two people who died in a fatal traffic crash in Wisconsin.

That’s according to WHBY, which reported that Thomas Dernlan of Manitowoc is one of the two people who died. The other victim has not been named. “Dernlan was heard on WOMT-AM in Manitowoc under the air name Tom Craig,” WHBY reported. WOMT also confirmed Dernlan’s death to WBAY-TV.

On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at approximately 10:08 a.m. the Oconto County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Dispatch Center “was notified of a one-vehicle accident on USH 41/141 north of Brown Road in the Town of Little Suamico,” the Sheriff’s Department wrote in a news release posted to its Facebook page.

“Deputies immediately responded to the scene of the accident and observed a pickup truck in the median, facing south, resting against the cable barrier with a male driver who was reported as unresponsive,” the news release says.

Here’s what you need to know:

The Fatal Crash Killed 2 People After an Equipment Truck Stopped to Offer Assistance, the Sheriff Says

WMOTTom Dernlan AKA Tom Craig.

Two people lost their lives in the fatal crash, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

“A preliminary investigation revealed a passing motorist stopped his equipment truck on the shoulder of the northbound lane to offer assistance. While deputies and first responders extracted the driver and applied life-saving measures, in the same location, a northbound vehicle, a van, struck the equipment truck parked on the side of the road causing a secondary crash,” the release says.

“The driver of the pickup truck, a 32-year-old male from Oconto, died at the scene. The driver of the van, a 66-year-old male from Manitowoc, died at the scene as a result of injuries sustained as a result of the crash,” according to the release. “A 73-year-old female from Manitowoc was a passenger in the van and was flown to a hospital in Green Bay for treatment of her injuries.”

Authorities have not publicly named the victims.

On Facebook, Dernlan filled his page with photos of his family, including his grandkids.

Tom Dernlan Had a Long Radio Career at Stations in Mississippi, Ohio & Wisconsin

Facebook (Tom Dernlan)Tom Craig/Tom Dernlan.

According to his bio on the WOMT website, Tom Craig broadcast from 1 to 5 p.m. on Fridays as well as Saturday mornings. The bio says:

Tom began his radio career in 1977 working at stations in Mississippi, Ohio, and Wisconsin. He has had a well-rounded career and served in many different positions including Program Director, Music Director, Public Service Director, Farm Director, Talk Show Host, News Director, Sports Director, Sports Play-by-Play, and On-Air Personality.

Tom felt the call to go into education in the 1990s and became a middle school teacher of science, math, and social studies, and he also coached boys football and basketball. After 19 years, he retired from teaching and returned to the airwaves reporting news and sports on WCUB. He fills in on the WCUB breakfast club and in the WOMT news department.

Tom is proud and excited to entertain listeners on WOMT. Join him Friday afternoons from 1:00-5:00 and Saturday mornings from 10-noon for your favorite music and contests.

Sheriff Todd Skarban wrote in the news release that the investigation continues.

“An ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Oconto County Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Brown County Medical Examiner’s Office. No other information is being released at this time,” he wrote.

“The Oconto County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Wisconsin State Patrol, the Brown County Medical Examiner’s Office, Town of Little Suamico Fire Department, Abrams Fire Department, Suamico Fire Department, Pulaski Tri-County Fire Department, Oconto Fire and Rescue Department, NEW Ambulance Service, Eagle III, Oconto County Emergency Management, and the Oconto and Brown County Highway Departments,” the release says.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families as they deal with the loss of a loved one,” the sheriff wrote.

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