Car crashes off 16th Street bridge, bursts into flames below, 3 confirmed dead
Updated: October 7, 2022
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Medical Examiner has confirmed the identities of the three victims: 28-year-old Corey Owens, 44-year-old Kendrick L. Miller and 34-year-old Johnny Michael Brown Witherspoon.
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Thursday evening a car crashed off the 16th Street bridge and landed upside down in a burst of flames on Canal Street below.
MPD says they were involved in a suspected drug dealing and reckless driving incident. They attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled recklessly, and the vehicle pursuit began.
Police say the pursuit lasted one minute before the vehicle lost control and crashed off the 16th Street bridge.
While the vehicle crossed the sidewalk before crashing, an 18-year-old Milwaukee woman was struck with minor injuries.
An eyewitness said she's shaken by what she saw.
Mimi Reza said there was a police chase, a crash off the bridge, then an explosion below. She described it as like something out of an action movie.
Reza was driving south on 16th Street when the car sped towards her. She said it "Passed us so quickly. The next thing you know he was losing control, went over the street, the sidewalk, and then over the bridge."
Reza says the dark car was speeding north on 16th, coming from National and past Potawatomi Hotel and Casino.
Two or three police cars were chasing the car, so she pulled to the side in the other lane to stay out of their way.
But as the car neared the bridge over Canal Street, she says it lost control over the sidewalk and crashed through the protective fencing.
It fell at least 20 feet and landed upside down on Canal below. Video posted by witnesses to social media shows the car completely engulfed in a fireball of flame.
Reza said it was very difficult to watch. She said there was "Screeching, the banging hitting the wall. Then all the sudden you hear the explosion. A big bang and smoke coming out. So it was… I was fearful."
Reza wasn't sure how many people were in the car. She said responding officers got to the crash very quickly since they were already in pursuit, but she wasn't sure if they were able to do anything to help the driver.