No new leads in Salem officer fatality

Ventura, 33, died in single-vehicle crash July 8

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

Three weeks have passed since Town of Salem Public Safety Officer Michael Josua Ventura died in a one-vehicle accident, and there are no new developments, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.

Ventura, 33, reportedly headed west on Highway 50, near Highway B, when his squad car left the roadway, ejecting him from the vehicle on July 8.

Michael Josua Ventura
Michael Josua Ventura

When Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputies arrived, they discovered the squad car in the ditch, and emergency responders requested Flight For Life helicopter to transport for Ventura, who was later pronounced dead at Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa.

The State Patrol had been called in to reconstruct the accident scene, citing expertise in the area, which includes 13 experts.

Preliminary investigations indicate Ventura had his emergency lights activated while en route, but the State Patrol has not released the reason, according to Lt. Nate Clark of the state agency.

“The policy of the State Patrol is not to distribute partial reports,” said Clark.

While Clark did not disclose the cause, he stated Ventura’s has been completed, followed by a forensic examination of the vehicle.

Clark said the forensic examination of the vehicle expects to determine whether there were mechanical failures on the squad.

“We are still putting pieces of the puzzle together,” Clark said.

The Town of Salem Public Safety Department employs two part-time officers and 10 seasonal water patrol officers, all of whom are state-certified in law enforcement, according the town website.

Responsibilities of the department include addressing traffic complaint, ordinance violations and conducting compliance checks, but seldom make criminal arrests.


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