One of the two victims who died in two separate accidents in Little Suamico on Tuesday was a long-time radio personality and WOMT staff member. Thomas Dernlan, known as Tom Craig on the radio, died from a one-vehicle crash on US Highway 41/141.
According to authorities, emergency crews arrived shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday on a stretch on US Highway 41/141 for a single vehicle on Brown Road. A pickup truck was on top of a cable barrier in the median, with the driver unresponsive.
The Oconto County Sheriff’s Office reported that Craig, 66, was the driver of a van that struck an equipment truck parked on the side of the road of the northbound lane in the secondary crash. The driver of the equipment truck had stopped to offer assistance.
The pickup truck driver who died was a 32-year-old man from Oconto, and Craig's wife, who was a passenger in the van, was transported to a Green Bay hospital for treatment of injuries.
The crash remains under investigation by the Oconto County Sheriff’s Department.
WOMT issued this press release on Wednesday morning.
WOMT Radio is saddened to share the sudden passing of on-air personality Tom Craig. On Tuesday morning, Tom was involved in a car crash while driving with his wife on Highway 41/141 in the Town of Little Suamico.
Tom started in broadcasting in 1977, and his sultry voice was heard throughout his career on stations across Mississippi, Ohio, and Wisconsin, including Manitowoc’s WOMT and WCUB Radio. Over his nearly 50-year career, Tom served as Program Director, Music Director, Public Service Director, Farm Director, Talk Show Host, News Director, Sports Director, Sports Play-by-Play, and On-Air Personality. He did take a break from the mic in the 1990s when he heard the call to enter the education field, but returned to radio in the mid-2010s as he assumed the role of news director for WCUB. Even after retirement, he wanted to stay connected to his passion for radio, eventually transferring into his final mid-afternoon slot on WOMT, where he entertained listeners every Friday.
WOMT legend Damon Ryan called Tom a “wonderful human being. He was one of those people that had a great demeanor. Very humble, very kind.” He also noted that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, as Tom’s father, a very talented surgeon, performed mission trips throughout his life. Damon also noted that Tom was always very prepared for his shows and never went on the air without knowing his exact vision for the shift. Tom Craig was 66 at the time of his passing and leaves behind his wife, who was also injured in the crash, and family."
