Matthew S. Drinkwine was 41 and lived in Roberts. Early Friday his 2018 Kia Sportage left West Warren Street near South Division Street and hit a tree. The call came in at 7:09 a.m. It was a quiet residential stretch with a 25 mph limit.
First responders found him not breathing. They pulled him from the wreck and worked hard to bring him back. Nothing worked. He died at the scene.
He was not wearing a seatbelt. That fact sits heavy with everyone who heard the news. Roberts Rescue, Roberts Fire, United Fire and Rescue and the St. Croix County Medical Examiner all showed up to help.
This was the fifth traffic death in St. Croix County this year. The crash is still under investigation. No one knows yet what made the vehicle leave the road.
Matthew grew up around these parts. People who knew him say he was just another guy trying to get through a regular Friday morning. Now his family and friends are left sorting through the sudden empty space.
Neighbors on that block said the sound of the impact woke a few of them. By the time they looked outside the emergency lights were already flashing. The tree took the full hit.
Life in a small Wisconsin town moves slow most days. Then something like this hits and everything stops. Matthew’s name is now on a list no one wants to see grow.
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