CHRISTIANA, Wis. — An 82 year old man was killed in a head on crash with a military vehicle on a state highway in western Wisconsin on Wednesday. According to the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, dispatch received word of a two vehicle, head on crash on State Highway 27 in Christiana around noon on April 29. Deputies say that a pickup truck driven by an 82 year old man from Boscobel was southbound on STH 27 near Paulson Road when he reportedly crossed the centerline and crashed head on with an Oshkosh Defense Medium Tactical Vehicle.

The military vehicle was traveling in a convoy. The driver of the pickup truck was identified as John LeRoy Shimpach. Shimpach was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and passenger of the military truck were identified as Illinois residents, both members of the Illinois National Guard. Deputies say that both suffered non life threatening injuries. The incident remains under investigation by the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office.

The Crash: A Deadly Head-On Collision

The crash occurred at approximately noon on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, on State Highway 27 in Christiana, Wisconsin. Christiana is a small town in Vernon County, located in the western part of the state, approximately 60 miles southeast of La Crosse and 40 miles west of Madison. The area is rural, with farmland, forests, and rolling hills. State Highway 27 is a two lane highway that runs north south through the county, connecting small communities and providing a route for local and regional traffic. Paulson Road is a side road that intersects with the highway in the Christiana area.

At noon, the sun would have been high in the sky. Visibility would have been good. The weather would have been typical for late April in Wisconsin likely mild, with clear skies or scattered clouds. There were no weather factors to blame. This was a clear day on a rural highway.

According to the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, a pickup truck driven by John LeRoy Shimpach, 82, of Boscobel, was traveling southbound on State Highway 27 near Paulson Road. For reasons that remain under investigation, Shimpach reportedly crossed the centerline. The pickup truck veered into the northbound lane.

At the same time, an Oshkosh Defense Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) was traveling northbound. The MTV is a military vehicle, a medium duty truck used by the U.S. military and National Guard units for transporting personnel and cargo. It is a large, heavy, armored vehicle, weighing up to 15 tons. The military vehicle was traveling in a convoy, meaning there were likely other military vehicles nearby. The convoy was on a training mission or a transport operation.

The two vehicles collided head on. A head on collision between a pickup truck and a 15 ton military vehicle is catastrophic. The pickup truck stood no chance. The front end would have crumpled instantly. The engine would have been pushed back into the passenger compartment. The driver would have been subjected to extreme deceleration forces.

The Victims: John LeRoy Shimpach, 82, Pronounced Dead at Scene

John LeRoy Shimpach was 82 years old. He was a resident of Boscobel, Wisconsin. Boscobel is a small city in Grant County, located approximately 30 miles southwest of Christiana. It is a community of approximately 3,200 residents, known for its agricultural heritage, its location on the Wisconsin River, and its small town charm.

At 82, John was an elderly man. He had lived a long life. He was someone’s father, someone’s grandfather, someone’s great grandfather. He was a husband, a brother, a friend. His death is a tragedy for his family and for the Boscobel community.

The original article does not provide biographical details about John his occupation, his hobbies, his personality. That information will emerge in the coming days as family members speak to the media and as obituaries are published. What is known is that he was 82, that he was from Boscobel, and that he is gone. He was driving his pickup truck on State Highway 27 when he crossed the centerline and crashed head on with a military vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver and passenger of the military truck were identified as Illinois residents, both members of the Illinois National Guard. Their names have not been released. They are likely young men or women in their 20s or 30s, serving their state and country. They were driving a military vehicle on a training mission or a transport operation. They survived the crash with non life threatening injuries. They are fortunate to be alive. A head on collision with a pickup truck could have killed them, but the military vehicle is built to withstand impacts. They will recover physically, but they will carry the memory of this crash forever.

The Investigation: Determining the Cause

The incident remains under investigation by the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office. Crash reconstruction experts will analyze the scene, including skid marks, debris patterns, and the final resting positions of both vehicles. They will also examine the vehicles for mechanical issues. The pickup truck’s event data recorder, or black box, may provide information about its speed and the driver’s actions before the crash.

Key questions include:

• Why did John Shimpach cross the centerline? Was he distracted? Was he impaired by alcohol or drugs? Did he suffer a medical emergency? Was he trying to avoid something on the road? Was he unfamiliar with the road? Did he fall asleep at the wheel?

• Was the pickup truck speeding? Speed increases the risk of a crash and the severity of injuries.

• Were road conditions a factor? Was the pavement wet? Was there gravel or debris on the roadway? Was the road properly marked?

• Was the military vehicle traveling at a safe speed? Was it following proper convoy procedures?

Toxicology tests will be performed on John Shimpach. These tests are standard in fatal crash investigations. The results may take weeks to be finalized.

The Vernon County Sheriff’s Office will also coordinate with the Illinois National Guard, which will conduct its own internal investigation. The military will review the convoy’s procedures, the driver’s training, and the vehicle’s maintenance.

The Scene: A Rural Highway Closed

The crash occurred on State Highway 27 in Christiana. The highway was likely closed for several hours as investigators documented the scene and crews cleared the wreckage. The pickup truck was destroyed. The military vehicle may have been damaged but was likely still operational. The highway would have been blocked, causing traffic delays. For drivers who were forced to detour, the closure was an inconvenience. For John Shimpach’s family, it was irrelevant. Their loved one was dead.

The Community: Boscobel and Christiana in Mourning

The communities of Boscobel and Christiana are mourning the loss of John Shimpach. Boscobel is a small, close knit city. The death of an 82 year old resident in a crash is a tragedy that touches everyone.

John’s family is devastated. They have lost a father, a grandfather, a husband, a friend. They are planning a funeral instead of celebrating a milestone. They are looking at photographs instead of making new memories. The pain is immeasurable.

The members of the Illinois National Guard who were involved in the crash are also affected. They were doing their duty, driving a military vehicle in a convoy. They survived, but they witnessed a death. They will need counseling and support.

Holding Onto Memories

As the investigation continues and the communities mourn, the family and friends of John LeRoy Shimpach are left to do the hardest work of all. They must hold onto their memories of him while also confronting the reality of his death. They must grieve his loss while also waiting for answers. They must find a way to go on without him.

John was 82. He had lived a long life. He had experienced joys and sorrows, successes and failures, love and loss. He had made friends, built relationships, and touched lives. All of that still matters, even if his death was sudden and violent. The way he died does not erase the way he lived.

But what was still matters. The 82 years that John lived, the people he loved, the joy he brought, the memories he created these things are not erased by his death. They remain. They are the inheritance of his family, his friends, and everyone who knew him. And as long as those memories are held and shared and cherished, John LeRoy Shimpach will never truly be gone.

Conclusion: A Head-On Tragedy with a Military Vehicle

The death of John LeRoy Shimpach, 82, of Boscobel, in a head on crash with an Illinois National Guard military vehicle on State Highway 27 in Christiana, is a tragedy that has left a family shattered and two communities in mourning. He crossed the centerline for reasons still under investigation and collided with an Oshkosh Defense Medium Tactical Vehicle traveling in a convoy. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and passenger of the military vehicle suffered non life threatening injuries. The investigation is ongoing.

As Boscobel and Christiana mourn, the communities stand together in grief, offering prayers and support to John’s family. Rest in peace, John LeRoy Shimpach. You were loved. You will be missed. And your memory will live on in the hearts of everyone who knew you. Gone too soon, forever remembered.