What Happened to Briggs Maxwell During the Farming Accident in Ithaca?

 A Wisconsin school community is grieving the sudden loss of a freshman whose life was cut short in a farming accident. Briggs Maxwell, a student at Ithaca High School and a member of its varsity football team, died Thursday after suffering a severe head injury involving a skid loader in the Town of Ithaca. He was a teenager with years of possibilities ahead of him, making his death especially painful for those who knew him.

According to the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, the accident happened shortly after 7 a.m. on August 27, 2026. Maxwell was reportedly seriously injured by a skid loader during the farming accident and later died from those injuries. Authorities have not released additional details explaining exactly how the equipment became involved. The sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident as the community struggles to process the loss.

At Ithaca High School, Maxwell was more than a name on a roster. He was a freshman and a member of the varsity football team, playing both running back and linebacker. His involvement in the program connected him with teammates, coaches and other students, while his presence in the classroom made him part of the broader school community. His father also serves as an assistant coach for the varsity football team, deepening the personal impact of the tragedy.

News of Maxwell’s death quickly changed the atmosphere across the district. Students, teachers, coaches, staff members and families were suddenly facing the loss of someone who should have been preparing for the next football season and the rest of his high school years. The Ithaca School District expressed condolences to Maxwell’s family, friends and classmates while acknowledging the grief affecting the entire school community. Officials encouraged people to support one another through the difficult period.

Support was made available inside the district as students and staff tried to cope. School counselors and other personnel were present in the gymnasium and classrooms to provide assistance to those affected by Maxwell’s death. Creating spaces where students could talk, grieve or simply remain close to trusted adults became an important part of the district’s immediate response. For classmates and teammates, having familiar support nearby offered a way to face an overwhelming day together rather than carrying the grief alone.

The school district also canceled athletic activities scheduled for Thursday evening and Friday following Maxwell’s death. That included the Ithaca/Weston varsity football game against Wauzeka-Steuben, which had been scheduled for Friday night at Weston, as well as Ithaca varsity volleyball activities planned for Saturday. The cancellations were intended to give students, staff and families time away from competition so they could grieve and support one another. Sports temporarily gave way to something more important: community.

For a school where athletics are part of student life, Maxwell’s absence will likely be felt especially strongly by his teammates and coaches. His father’s role as an assistant football coach adds another layer of personal grief to a tragedy already affecting the program. Yet the district’s response shows an understanding that mourning cannot be measured by a schedule. The decision to pause activities allowed the community to focus on Maxwell’s family and the people struggling with his sudden death.

The investigation into the farming accident remains ongoing. The Richland County Sheriff’s Office has not provided further information about the precise circumstances leading to Maxwell’s fatal injuries or explained how the skid loader was involved beyond the initial report. As investigators continue examining what happened, the Ithaca community is left remembering a young student-athlete whose life ended far too soon. For his classmates, teammates and family, Briggs Maxwell’s memory will remain part of the school community he called home.