1 dead after crash involving off duty Superior Police Officer

SUPERIOR, WI-- One person is dead after two vehicles crashed early Friday morning in Superior.

The crash happened around 1:15 a.m. on the 5200 block of East 2 Street.

According to the police, both cars were traveling northbound on East 2 Street before one rear-ended the other, leaving a 23-year-old man from Eau Clarie dead and two others in the vehicle hospitalized.

The driver of the other vehicle was Sergeant Greg Swanson with the Superior Police Department.

The Superior Police Department requested an outside agency investigate the crash since it involved one of their officers.

As a result of the investigation, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office arrested Sergeant Swanson for homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle, and he is currently being held in the Douglas County Jail.

Swanson, a 25-year veteran of the force has been placed on Administrative Leave, per department policy.

The Superior Police Department said in a statement:

“This is a sad and tragic incident. We wish to express our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased, and our hopes of a speedy and successful recovery for the other occupants involved.”

The Douglas County Attorneys’ office said in a statement:

To ensure that this matter is objectively reviewed and handled, and to avoid the appearance of any impropriety and to maintain public confidence in this process, the Douglas County District Attorney will be requesting that a special prosecutor be appointed from an outside office or agency to review this matter for possible charges, and if any charges are issued, to handle the prosecution of the case.”