As was previously reported on The Whitewater Banner, a Whitewater resident was pronounced deceased at a hospital following a single vehicle crash in the Town of Newark in Rock County on May 18, 2026. On May 26 the Rock County Medical Examiner’s Department [RCME] released the identity of the victim as being Erik G. Gonzalez Machuca, age 33.

The RCME indicated that “A forensic examination was completed on May 19, 2026. Preliminary results of the examination confirm that Mr. Gonzalez Machuca died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. Additional testing is underway at this time. This incident remains under investigation by the Rock County Sheriff’s Office and the Rock County Medical Examiner’s Department.”