SLINGER, WISCONSIN — Law enforcement called it a miracle. A family from Lomira is calling it the worst thing they have ever lived through — and they are still living through it. Three members of the Thill family, including a 3-year-old girl, survived being ground between two semi-trucks on Interstate 41 near Slinger on August 18, and now their relative is speaking out about injuries that have upended every part of daily life for the family.
“They survived something no family should ever have to go through,” said Alex Thill, brother of one of the survivors.
The Crash
The pileup occurred on southbound I-41 near Highway 60 while traffic had slowed or stopped due to an earlier fatal motorcycle crash near Holy Hill Road in Richfield. A 57-year-old motorcyclist had died in that initial crash. A southbound semi-truck that failed to notice the stalled traffic slammed into several vehicles, triggering a chain reaction involving two semi-trucks and four passenger vehicles. One car ended up lodged nearly vertical against the back of one of the semis, pinned between both trucks.
The Milwaukee Fire Department Heavy Urban Rescue Team was called in to stabilize the vehicles and assist with extrication. Four adults were taken to hospitals by ambulance. A toddler was airlifted by Flight for Life to Children’s Hospital. A sixth person drove themselves to a hospital for treatment. All five reported injuries were described as potentially serious.
The Family
Alex Thill’s sister Savannah, her husband Christian, and their 3-year-old daughter were among those trapped in the vertically pinned vehicle. All three were rushed to the intensive care unit.
Savannah underwent surgery after the muscle in her knee that keeps it in natural motion snapped and recoiled up to her thigh. She will be wheelchair-bound for a long time, unable to walk normally or unassisted, and unable to work for up to a year.
Christian suffered bruised arteries to the heart, multiple fractured ribs, a broken nose, and facial injuries. Their 3-year-old daughter, who had to be pulled from her car seat amid the chaos, was airlifted to the hospital. She has knee swelling, stitches, and a significant concussion and has had some trouble walking since the crash.
“In such a disarray that you couldn’t even consider that a car anymore, there’s no way,” Alex said of the vehicle. “There’s no way that someone, especially a 3-year-old, could survive a significant crash like that, but thankfully, by the grace of God and paramedics’ help, they 100 percent did.”
The family’s recovery extends beyond the physical. Alex said his family is already living with night terrors, loss of sleep, and PTSD — made worse because they previously lost their oldest sibling, Jeffrey Thill, in a traumatic car crash. Now, after nearly losing Savannah, Christian, and their daughter in a nearly identical way, the emotional weight has been crushing.
Basic daily tasks — getting out of bed, showering, eating, using the bathroom, caring for their daughter, getting outside — have all become difficult or impossible. The couple has also lost their independence entirely during the recovery period.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office told local media the driver of the semi-truck that caused the crash has not been ticketed. The crash remains under investigation by Wisconsin State Patrol and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover therapy, childcare, rent, bills, mobility equipment, food, and other essentials while Savannah and Christian are unable to work.
Interviews courtesy of local media and GoFundMe.
📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.
