Wood County, WI — December 31, 2025, Heather Nigh was killed and another person was injured in a plow truck accident at about 12:20 p.m. in the 6000 block of County Highway H.

Authorities said a vehicle was heading east when it was hit by a northbound plow truck that allegedly ran a stop sign on County Highway M.

One person in the vehicle, 30-year-old Heather R. Nigh, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash north of Auburndale, according to authorities, while the other was hospitalized with unspecified injuries.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Wood County crash at this time.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear that a plow truck allegedly ran a stop sign and caused a deadly crash, the first question that comes to mind is probably: How could something so preventable happen? That’s the right question to ask, but getting a reliable answer takes more than just reading a police report.

At this point, the public information about the crash raises more questions than it answers. It’s reported that a northbound plow truck ran a stop sign on County Highway M and hit an eastbound vehicle on County Highway H, killing one person and injuring another. But several key facts are still missing:

• Was the plow truck part of a municipal or private fleet?
• Was the driver working at the time of the crash, or was the vehicle being operated off-duty?
• Was visibility a factor, due to snow, glare or obstruction?
• And perhaps most important: Is there any camera footage or vehicle data to confirm whether the driver failed to stop?

Depending on the ownership and maintenance of the plow truck, different avenues of investigation will apply. If it was a government-operated truck, the rules for liability are different than if it belonged to a private contractor. Either way, the critical next step is to preserve evidence.

That includes things like:

• Dash cam footage, if installed;
• Vehicle GPS data, which may show whether the truck stopped or even slowed;
• Driver history, to determine whether the operator had a record of previous violations;
• And cell phone records, to check for distraction at the time of the crash.

Running a stop sign isn’t just a traffic violation; it’s often a symptom of deeper operational failures. I’ve handled plenty of cases where drivers were put behind the wheel without proper vetting or were pressured to cut corners to meet deadlines. In one case, we found that a municipal vehicle involved in a crash hadn’t had its brakes properly serviced for over a year. No one knew until someone got hurt and we started digging.

In a crash like this, it’s also important to clarify whether the plow truck had any visibility obstructions. For example, snow plows sometimes operate with equipment that can block the driver’s line of sight, especially in older models that lack modern mirror systems or rear-facing cameras. Was that a factor here? We don’t know, and won’t know, unless someone looks into it.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s not yet confirmed whether the plow truck was operated by a public agency or private company. Each raises different legal considerations.
• Investigators should secure vehicle data, dash cam footage and phone records to determine exactly what the driver was doing at the time of the crash.
• The possibility of obstructed visibility or mechanical failure should not be ruled out without further evidence.
• Responsibility may not rest solely on the driver. Vehicle maintenance, employer oversight and work conditions all deserve scrutiny.
• Getting to the truth means looking beyond surface-level violations and examining the systems that allowed the crash to happen in the first place.