Injured trucker still being treated

• Roger Wiff

Roger Wiff

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A town of Martell trucker remains hospitalized at Mayo Clinic Health System (Luther Hospital) in Eau Claire more than three weeks after he was injured in an accident in Elmwood.

Roger Wiff, 60, was scheduled to undergo surgery –- his fourth since the accident – Tuesday, May 29, to repair damage to his left leg and ankle. He’s expected to be moved to a River Falls nursing home for continued recovery a few days after the operation. Wiff was injured early on the morning of Friday, May 4, when a steel beam apparently shifted and struck him.

Wiff, an independent truck owner-operator, had arrived at Steel Services, Inc., 1111 W. Industrial Road, Elmwood, that morning to pick up a pre-loaded trailer when the accident occurred.

He apparently lay at the scene bleeding from a head wound for about an hour before a shop worker arrived at about 5:45 a.m. and found the injured man.

Wiff was taken by helicopter to Luther where he underwent emergency surgery to close the head wounds and insert an epidural catheter in his back to control pain from broken ribs.

That was followed by surgery to insert pins and stabilize a broken bone in his left leg and a dislocated ankle.

Several days later he had another surgery -- this time to repair 10 broken ribs.

Wiff's wife, Judy, said she was told by the emergency room surgeon at Luther that actions by Elmwood EMS personnel saved her husband's life.

Wiff, who was recently elected to the Pierce-Pepin Cooperative Services Board of Directors, is an active member of the River Falls United Methodist Church. His wife is a reporter for the River Falls Journal.

A CaringBridge site has been set up at www.caringbridge.org. Enter rogerwiff in the search bar.

Tags: river falls, wisconsin, health, news