July 31, 2024 – Hartford, WI – An unbelievable series of events occurred Tuesday morning, around 10:30 a.m. in Hartford, WI, as a vehicle reportedly crossed a busy Hwy 60 and ended up in the river at Willowbrook Park.
The interesting part of the story is the car came from the opposite side of Sumner Street, crossed four lanes of Highway 60, did not hit anything, jumped the curb, went down the embankment and into the river.
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“Very unusual circumstance to be sure,” said Police Chief Scott MacFarlan. “I was glad nobody was seriously hurt.”
No dive team was needed. According to Fire Chief Tony Burgard the police worked with a wrecker to pull the vehicle out.
Dirt tiretracks on the embankment are all that was left of the scene Tuesday afternoon.
“There was nobody in the car,” said Burgard. “My understanding is it came out of the car wash across the street. It crossed Highway 60 without touching anything.”
Questions are still being asked whether anyone was in the vehicle at the time it crossed the road.
Burgard said there was “nobody in the vehicle” when the wrecker pulled it out of the river.
An image on social media shows a red compact car with the nose of the vehicle in the water and the back wheels appearing to still be on land.
Chief MacFarlan, who has been with the police department 28 years said, “I’ve never heard about that happening before.”
However, a local historian said it did happen, about 30 years ago. That recollection is below.
“The previous owner of the car wash, his Corvette was in the car wash and he sent it through and his workers… they had it in neutral. It went all the way across the street, just like this one, but his went all the way across the river – I think it was winter – and it went across, up the embankment and then rolled back and broke through. It’s a straight shot from the car wash.”
Questioned whether the car was empty 30 years ago the historian said, “Yes… and then they sent it through. But it must have been like when you have something in the oven, and you go on the Internet, and you forget.”
Calls have been placed to the car wash.
This is a working story, and more information will be posted when details are available.
