A heartbroken father slammed Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley (D) for not reaching out to him following her involvement in a fatal crash that killed his five-year-old daughter and the child’s mother.
Bewley had reportedly undergone cataract eye surgery the day before.
The accident occurred in Ashland, Wisconsin, at Maslowski Beach on Highway 2 at around 12:25 p.m. on Friday, according to the Ashland Daily Press, citing a police report.
Bewley was pulling her vehicle out of a parking lot from the beach and drove straight into the path of Alyssa Ortman, 27, who was with her daughter. After the two collided, Ortman’s vehicle spun out and hit another oncoming car.
Ortman later died after being taken to the hospital, while her daughter, Khali, 5, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Police say that Bewley was uninjured and has not determined whether charges will be laid as the investigation is still ongoing. Bill Hagstrom, Chief of the Ashland Police Department, did note that no alcohol or substances were believed to have been involved.
“We’ll be sitting down with them and going over everything as far as determining how it all actually happened,” Hagstrom told the Daily Press. “Then we’ll forward everything to the district attorney for their review because it was a fatal accident.”
Grieving from the tragedy, Brandon Fink, the father of Khali, said in a post on Facebook, “I still can’t believe this, all I can do is curl up in your blanket and miss you forever my poor sweet little girl.”
In a subsequent post, Fink revealed that Bewley had not even reached out to him as of Monday, saying, “Wow… my daughter was taken from me after a US Senator, Janet Bewley for Wisconsin , hit her and her mother into traffic and to their demise. Hasn’t even reached out… great people we elect.”
Bewley, who is not seeking reelection, released a statement from her office regarding the accident:
Senator Bewley was involved in a three-vehicle accident in Ashland, Wisconsin on Friday, July 22nd. Tragically, two people lost their lives. This is a heartbreaking event for the community. Our thoughts and prayers are focused on the individuals involved, their families and their loved ones. Senator Bewley, who was not seriously injured in the accident, wants to thank all the dedicated law enforcement and emergency medical personnel who helped in the aftermath of the accident. A police investigation is ongoing. Out of respect for that investigation and the privacy of all the families involved, our office will be withholding further comment at this time. Thank you for your patience and concern.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on Monday that Bewley revealed to a reporting intern of the outlet that she had undergone cataract eye surgery the day before the crash.
Bewley reportedly stopped talking mid-sentence minutes later after making the startling revelation. When the intern asked if she was “OK,” the State Sen. responded, “Yeah, I’m OK. This is not a good accident.”
The interview had been previously arranged before the accident regarding the fall elections.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.