UPDATE Sam Egging identified as traffic victim on county Road N

BIRNAMWOOD — Students at Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School are mourning the loss of a classmate.

Samuel Edward Egging, son of Michael and Ginger and brother to Andrew and Henry, was the victim of an accident on County Road N in the town of Birnamwood on Dec. 19.

“We grieve for the loss of our student, teammate, and friend of our WB family,” said Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District Superintendent Garrett Rogowski. “The student will be remembered for his genuine kindness, friendly and approachable personality; he was a friend to so many students.”

The accident is still under investigation, according to the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.

A press release from sheriff’s Lt. Nick Prey said deputies were called about 5:15 p.m. to a vehicle versus pedestrian accident. The release said the driver of the vehicle, identified as a 45-year-old male from Bowler, reported the accident and that he was unable to see the youth due to headlights being on bright on a vehicle stopped by the side of the road.

“When deputies arrived on scene, they observed a male lying in the ditch and another male performing chest compressions,” according to the release.

Members of the Mattoon Ambulance Service were unable to get a pulse and requested the Shawano County coroner be paged. The coroner pronounced the boy dead at the scene.

Investigation of the crash showed that the boy struck a deer while driving, stopped in the lane of travel, left his vehicle and went to drag the deer out of the roadway when he was struck by the oncoming vehicle, the release said.

Also assisting were the Birnamwood Fire Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol.

According to Rogowski, crisis staff were available all day Friday for students. Counseling and school psych resources can be utilized at any point in time. He noted that the balcony and library were a designated space for students to gather to grieve with fellow students or speak with counselors.

Dan Weisensel, liaison officer for WBSD, got the call from the sheriff’s department regarding the accident Thursday and immediately contacted Rogowski to prepare a grief counseling plan for the students and staff. He said the school held an assembly for the high school students on Friday.

“I think it was extremely important to be able to help them separate fact from fiction. Social media has a way of distorting the facts,” said Weisensel. “And I was able to help answer questions regarding the accident for them.”

Rogowski noted that there are family and friends attending Birnamwood Elementary/Middle School and counselors are available there as well.

Weisensel noted crisis counselors needed to be mindful of the students’ needs in the weeks to come as the reality of the loss settles in.

A visitation is set for Dec. 26, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a service at 1 p.m. at Schmidt and Schulta Funeral Home, 445 Main St., Birnamwood. Details can be found at https://www.schmidtschulta.com.