UPDATE: Five-month-old is last of Amish family released from the hospital after being struck by drunk driver

UPDATE: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 – 9:00 p.m.

Sheriff Roy Torgerson is reporting the last remaining patient that was hospitalized, a 5-month-old, has been discharged from the University of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital in Madison today, January 31st. The patient arrived home earlier this evening while one of my deputies was conducting a follow-up investigation with other victims.

The driver of the pickup who is being charged with OWI causing injury has been released on a $5,000 cash bond. You can read that bond hearing in our story here.

UPDATE: Tuesday, January 30, 2024 – 2:30 p.m.

The Vernon County Sheriff’s Office is reporting four of the five patients have been discharged from the hospital(s).  Only a 5-month-old remains hospitalized, at the University of Madison Children’s Hospital.  The bail hearing has been scheduled for 3:00 PM in Vernon County Circuit Court.  The investigation has continued throughout the day.

HILLSBORO, Wis. – Vernon County Sheriff Roy Torgerson reports five people were injured, three of them seriously when an intoxicated driver struck their buggy in rural Hillsboro on Monday night. The Sheriff’s Office says the incident occurred shortly after 9 p.m. when a pickup truck driven by 63-year-old Bruce Donlan of Hillsboro struck the buggy that was carrying five passengers, on Kolash Road near County Road C. The report states the buggy was traveling the opposite direction as the Dolan vehicle.

The report goes on to say all five passengers in the buggy suffered injuries. Three patients were transported to Gundersen St. Joseph’s in Hillsboro, by Hillsboro Area Ambulance.  Richland County EMS transported the remaining two patients to Richland Hospital.  Two of the patients were later transferred to the University of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital in Madison. 

Donlan was arrested for Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated-Causing Injury.  Donlan is being held pending a bail hearing in Vernon County Circuit Court and formal charges will be sought through Vernon County District Attorney Angela Palmer-Fisher.

The crash remains under active investigation by the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office and more information may be released later.  Assisting at the scene were the Yuba Fire Department, Yuba First Responders, Hillsboro Area Ambulance, Richland County EMS, the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsboro Police Department, and the Wisconsin State Patrol Technical Reconstruction Unit.