Four Dead in Wrong Way Crash Near Madison

Four people are dead and alcohol may be a factor in a fatal three car crash on I-94 east of Madison Wednesday night.   According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, the driver of an Honda Pilot SUV was going the wrong way when it collided with two other vehicles in the eastbound lane of the freeway near the Deerfield exit. 

The State Patrol says two of the deceased are from Milwaukee, one is from Waterloo and the fourth is from Northbrook, Illinois.

Around 10:15 PM, the State Patrol received a report of an SUV driving erratically in the eastbound lane of I-94.  As the Patrol units attempted to catch up to the vehicle, it turned around in the lane and began heading into traffic, nearly hitting head on the pursuing trooper.  Before the trooper could catch up to the SUV, it collided with two cars, a Nissan Sentra and a Toyota Corolla.

The driver of the Nissan, a 28-year-old man from Whitefish Bay, needed to be extricated from the vehicle and was taken by  Medflight to the University of Wisconsin Hospital with life threatening injuries.      The wrong way driver, a 32-year-old man from Waunakee was taken to the UW Hospital with critical injuries.

Three passengers in the Nissan and the  driver of the Toyota were pronounced dead at the scene.  The three passengers were a 28-year-old Milwaukee woman, a 26-year-old Milwaukee woman and a 26-year-old man from Waterloo.  The lone occupant of the Toyota was a 23-year-old man from Northbrook, IL.   The names of the deceased are being withheld pending the notification of family.