Winona, MN (August 18, 2026) – A 63-year-old Watertown, Wisconsin man was injured on Monday, August 17, when his Harley Davidson motorcycle, heading north on Highway 43, collided with a southbound Toyota RAV4 at the intersection with Highway 61, according to a state crash report. The wreck happened around 4:37 p.m.
Gary Haines was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Winona Health. The RAV4’s driver, a 56-year-old woman from Viroqua, Wisconsin, was not hurt.
The circumstances remain under investigation. We hope Haines has a full recovery.
Why Do Investigators Note Whether a Motorcyclist Was Wearing a Helmet?
Helmet use is one of the clearest factors affecting injury severity in a motorcycle crash, so documenting it helps investigators and medical teams understand the full picture of what happened. A helmet can significantly reduce the risk of serious head trauma, even in a crash involving another vehicle.
This detail also matters for broader safety analysis, since agencies track helmet use across crashes to understand patterns and inform public safety messaging. Individual cases like this one contribute to a larger picture of how protective equipment affects outcomes.
Beyond the helmet itself, investigators typically look at each vehicle’s speed, position, and right-of-way at the intersection to understand how the crash occurred. This kind of review helps establish the full circumstances, regardless of the injury outcome for either driver.
