By NICK DETTMANN
Daily News Sports Editor
KEWASKUM - Friends of Cody Nuernberg hope this doesn’t derail a bright future.
The 18-year-old Kewaskum High School senior was seriously injured in a car accident late Sunday, but wasn’t discovered for another seven hours.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Department was first notified of the accident at 7:12 a.m. Monday. But according to police, the accident happened at about midnight near the intersection of Highway 28 and Highway HH.
“That was the first time he could physically get to his phone,” Sgt. Randy Boudry said.
According to the investigation, Nuernberg, who is Kewaskum’s starting quarterback and a pitcher and outfielder on the school’s baseball team, was driving east on Highway 28, just west of Highway HH. He left the pavement, entered the gravel shoulder, hit a guard rail, went across the road, up an embankment and crested a hill.
When the car stopped, it was on top of a 20-foot fill approximately 40 feet off the road, which is why Boudry believes no one saw the car.
Dave Lemke, a friend of the family, said Nuernberg suffered a broken back, a fractured neck and suffered frostbite with golf ball-sized blisters on each toe. It is believed the accident will not paralyze him.
Nuernberg was cited for driving too fast for conditions and failure to wear a seatbelt. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital and transferred to Froedert Hospital where he is listed in satisfactory condition.
Kewaskum junior Kayla Bastian drives past the site of the crash on her way to school every day, including the morning of Nuernberg’s discovery. She said she drove past the site about 10 minutes before paramedics arrived.
“I didn’t think anything of it,” Bastian said. “There was just two cars there.
“I saw a guy walking up the hill with a bag. I thought he was going to check some meat or something. I had no idea.”
Many, including Bastian, are amazed Nuernberg is still alive.
“He’s a real lucky man,” said Doug Gonring, Kewaskum’s baseball coach. “The community is going to have to work together to help this young man get back.”
Friends of Nuernberg know him as a well-respected individual by all those around him and someone with a bright future.
The star athlete hadn’t decided on a college yet, but he was considering the possibility of playing football and baseball in college next fall.
“He’s a pretty damn good athlete,” Gonring said.
Bastian said the mood has been quiet at school the past couple days. But it’s gotten better. There’s a sense relief for everyone knowing that Nuernberg survived the accident and will be OK.
However, there’s a concern among friends that Nuernberg may never play sports again.
Bastian learned about the accident through friends, but was speechless when she found out where it was.
“You don’t think anything of it,” she said. “Everybody’s really concerned.”
Austin Luedtke graduated from Kewaskum last semester. He and Nuernberg grew up good friends. They played youth baseball and football together. But, by the time they got to middle school, their relationship dwindled.
Yet, Luedtke, a Super Late Model stock car driver at Slinger Superspeedway, was stunned by the news.
“That’s one person I didn’t think anything would happen to,” Luedtke said. “He had a bright future ahead of him and I hope he still does.”
Gonring voiced the same sentiment.
“I’ve been with him since he was in sixth grade,” he said. “It’s tragic, but we’ve got to step forward and make some changes, take one day at a time, put his career on hold for a while.”
Kewaskum athletic director and head football coach Jason Piittmann said there’s a genuine concern for Nuernberg.
“He’s a good student,” Piittmann said. “He’s a well-respected kid.”
Sadly, this isn’t the first time this community has had to deal with horrific car accidents. In the past couple years, this community has been rattled with the accidents of four students, including two of them fatal.
Bastian believes the community will rally around this tragedy.
“I think it brings (the community) together more,” Bastian said. “I can never imagine that happening to me.”
As for Luedtke, he had to deal with a similar situation in November 2009.
Nate Strobel, a student at Hartford Union High School, died in a car accident. He was a good friend of Luedtke’s.
Thankfully, Nuernberg didn’t lose his life, but the feeling of shock was just the same.
“Nobody ever saw it coming,” Luedtke said. “Every day I get up and count my blessings.”
Kristine Walden of the Daily News Staff contributed to this report
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