Racine County crash shuts down I-41 for hours, 3 transported
RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Snowfall made for tough commutes Tuesday. The Milwaukee area saw a number of spinouts on the roads.
I-41/94 NB was closed at 7 Mile Road for hours Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 15, due to a crash involving multiple vehicles.
Traffic is moving along at posted speed limits now, but it was miserable all afternoon. For over four hours, a stretch of I-94 near Highway G was nearly at a standstill.
Racine County investigators obtained video from a truck driver who pulled up seconds after the crash near 7 Mile Road.
"We don't know exactly why the black Jeep Cherokee lost control and slammed into the median wall, but that is the cause of the accident," said Lt. Michael Luell, Racine County Sheriff's Office.
Police say it resembled bumper cars with the Jeep hitting a Cadillac SUV, a semi tipping onto its side and two vehicles stopped for the semi then getting rear-ended.
"You have to slow down. You have no idea what your stopping distance is gonna be, if you're gonna slip or you're gonna slide, slowing down goes hand-in-hand with increasing your following distances," said Lt. Luell.
Racine County shut down northbound lanes, the traffic backup extending several miles, frustrating drivers who were late for things that really couldn't wait.
"I was panicking, and she calls me and I'm like, 'I'm coming. I promise. Go stand somewhere warm,'" said Amber Jirschele, driver.
Amber Jirschele's kids got stuck waiting for mom at the bus stop.
"Yeah, you couldn't even see how far up the accident was or anything. We ended up actually, people were driving in the right lane, the shoulder," said Jirschele.
Garrett Naughton, from Chicago, was late going to his uncle's bar in Milwaukee's Riverwest.
"We've been in traffic for over two hours. Oh, it was absolutely horrid, yeah, put us behind," said Naughton.
Even the frontage roads were stacked.
"The load that the semi was carrying was pallets, wooden pallets that all had to be off-loaded before the semi could be rolled back onto its wheels," said Lt. Luell.
The snowy day kept first responders busy elsewhere, too, with vehicles crashing into walls and into each other.
We saw crashes in Delafield, Oconomowoc and Milwaukee County on the freeway and on other roads, too.
Three people were transported from the scene of the Racine County accident with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police advise that if you do crash on the freeway, it's best to stay in your vehicle until help arrives.
#breaking#traffic Full freeway closure on NB I-94 in Racine County after semi rolled over this afternoon. Watch @cbs58 for updates pic.twitter.com/TTpdUx0tsp
— Michele Fiore (@michelehana) November 15, 2022
#Breaking#Traffic Crews trying to upright an overturned semi on I-94 near Seven Mile Road. All northbound lanes remain blocked in the area and traffic has been a giant mess all afternoon. Watch @cbs58 for updates pic.twitter.com/pSEdVub58V
— Michele Fiore (@michelehana) November 15, 2022