Dec. 29, 2017 – Germantown, WI – On Friday, Dec. 29, 2017 at approximately 9 a.m., the Germantown Police Department responded to a crash on I-41 southbound north of County Line Road in the Village of Germantown involving a Menomonee Falls Police Squad.
An MFPD Officer was inside his squad car parked near the shoulder of the roadway with emergency lights activated and traffic cones placed on/around the roadway. The MFPD Officer was attempting to warn southbound traffic about another motor vehicle crash that was being investigated in the area. While the MFPD squad car was parked near the shoulder of the roadway, it was struck by a southbound vehicle. The officer and the civilian driving the southbound vehicle were transported to Froedtert Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Preliminary information indicates inattentive driving by the driver of the southbound vehicle was a contributing factor to this crash. (GTPD Incident 17-20437)
While Germantown Officers were investigating the above crash, traffic started to slow down and back up on I-41 southbound. At approximately 9:28 a.m., a secondary crash occurred in the vicinity of I-41 southbound north of Lannon Road/STH 167 East.
Witnesses stated a truck was driving southbound on I-41 at a high rate of speed, and struck traffic on the highway that was slowing or stopped. A total of six vehicles were involved in this crash.
Four patients were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
Three patients were transported to Froedtert Hospital and one patient was transported to Community Memorial Hospital.
The Germantown Police Department was assisted by the Germantown Fire Department, Richfield Ambulance, Jackson Ambulance, two Flight For Life Helicopters, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and WI State Patrol.
Northbound I-41 was closed for approximately 40 minutes while both Flight For Life helicopters landed on the highway. I-41 southbound was closed for approximately 1.5 hours. Preliminary information indicates that reckless driving and speed were contributing factors to this crash.(GTPD Incident 17-20439)
These are currently active investigations, and no additional information will be released by the Germantown Police Department at this time. Menomonee Falls Police Department has prepared a separate press release regarding the crash that injured their officer.
The following update is from Germantown Fire Department.
Germantown Fire Department responded to a multi-vehicle MVA (6-cars) on northbound Interstate 41 north of Lannon Road with entrapment. GFD firefighters using hydraulic extrication tools removed two patients from one of the vehicles.
Two Flight for Life Helicopters were requested to transport two critical patients and three patients were transported by two Germantown Ambulances and one Jackson FD Ambulances.
Germantown FD Ambulance 56, 54, Engine’s 64 and 62 along with Car 1 responded and were assisted by a Jackson FD and Richfield FD Ambulance.
As always, the Germantown Police Department along with the Sheriff’s Departments did an excellent job assisting with initial operations and traffic control.
It is incidents like this that prove that the continued multi-agency training and the use of a Unified Command System works.
Interstate 41 was closed in both direction for approximately 50-minutes, but opened at 11:25 a.m.
Photos courtesy Germantown Fire Department
More often than not, these accidents are caused by people merging onto the highway. Or, as is usually the case, the people that move out of the way because the merging traffic from the ramp does not yield as they are required to by law.
I see it all the time at the Hwy 41/45 “split”.
Until drivers in the right lane rightfully continue at their own speed, and drivers merging from the ramps correctly merge into traffic as they are supposed to, you will continue to see these accidents.
I don’t know if that was the case here at Lannon Road, but it would not surprise me.
No the pick up truck driver was speeding so fast when he passed us weaving in and out of traffic it was like we were sitting still! Total disregard for the traffic laws and the safety of others caused this!