Racine County crash; Apple Watch calls 911, alerts emergency crews
TOWN OF DOVER, Wis. - An Apple Watch automatically called 911 after the watch's owner was involved in a severe crash in the Town of Dover early Thursday, Aug. 31.
The wreck happened around 4 a.m. Thursday. When the 911 call came in, Apple provided a location of County Highway N (Downy Drive) and County Highway A (Plank Road) in the Town of Dover.
"Running out to save somebody’s life at 4 o’clock in the morning. It’s what we do," said Ronald Molnar, Kansasville Fire and Rescue Chief. "This was a first for us – being dispatched to an automobile crash, as a result of an Apple Watch."
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Racine County sheriff's deputies and Kansasville Fire & Rescue Department responded. Union Grove - Yorkville Fire Department was requested to respond to the scene to assist with Landing Zone operations.
When deputies arrived on the scene, they located a vehicle approximately in a farm field.
Town of Dover crash in field (Credit: Kansasville Fire and Rescue)
Town of Dover crash in field (Credit: Kansasville Fire and Rescue)
"We found the vehicle on its roof, approximately 100 feet off the paved roadway," Molnar said.
The driver and lone occupant of the vehicle was identified as a 31-year-old Waterford woman. She was unconscious and was flown by Flight For Life to Froedtert Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Town of Dover crash in field (Credit: Kansasville Fire and Rescue)
"If we weren’t alerted by this Apple Watch, that vehicle would’ve likely gone undetected for several hours," Molnar said. "If it wasn’t for that Apple Watch, I doubt she would have survived."
Deputies say the Waterford woman showed no signs of impairment. They believe the crash was the result of distracted driving.
The accident is being investigated by the Racine County Major Crash Assistance Team.