JOSE SANTOS GURDIAN

MARINETTE, Wis. — Marinette County authorities are searching for the driver of a vehicle that crashed Wednesday in the Town of Beaver, killing one occupant and injuring two others.

It’s believed that the Hispanic farm worker has fled the area, Marinette County Sheriff Jerry Sauve said in a news release Thursday.

Juaquin Sanchez, 53, was killed in the crash, while the suspected driver has been identified as Jose Santos Gurdian, 40, Sauve said. Both were residing on Third Road in Beaver and working on a local farm.

The crash occurred about 4 p.m. Wednesday on Third Road near Highway 64 and County Road P when a southbound vehicle hit a power pole. Sanchez was ejected and pronounced dead at the site, Sauve said.

Two other workers, 28-year-old Jeremias Centeno and 36-year-old Jilberto Espinosa, were treated for less serious injuries, according to the news release.

Responding were Coleman Rescue, Pound Fire Department, Bay Area/Aurora paramedics and Wisconsin Public Service. Assisting in the investigation was a Spanish-speaking deputy from the Oconto County Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Marinette County Sheriff’s Office at 715-732-7627.

This is the fifth traffic fatality in Marinette County in 2022.