Busy 8th District intersection sees violent morning crash involving fleeing vehicle

A reckless driver fleeing from West Milwaukee Police caused a crash at approximately 6:23 a.m. today at S. 43rd St. and W. Forest Home Ave. in the 8th Aldermanic District. Two teens in the fleeing vehicle were injured in the crash and were transported by ambulance to a hospital, according to police.

The Jackson Park intersection where the crash occurred is usually very busy and in close proximity to Manitoba School. Thankfully, no other motorists or pedestrians were injured in the incident.

It is sad that we see so many individuals willing to risk their own safety and lives AND the safety and lives of others by driving recklessly in Milwaukee. As a community, we need to take personal responsibility and hold ourselves accountable when it comes to such a deadly activity as reckless driving.

If you know someone who is prone to reckless driving behavior – especially a loved one or a friend – please do your part to make sure they can’t harm themselves or others.

If you see someone speeding and driving recklessly (even a friend or a relative), please report the location and/or vehicle to Milwaukee Police by going to www.mpdtsu.org.

It is my goal to make this intersection much safer for a full array of users – motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

In fact, the City of Milwaukee is coordinating with the State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation to install curb extensions on Forest Home Ave at S. 40th St to make it safer for students walking to Manitoba School, as well as for all people visiting Jackson Park. These curb extensions will shorten the distance pedestrians have to cross the street, make people more visible to drivers when they are crossing the street, and prevent drivers from passing illegally on the right (the City is hopeful these improvements can be installed this year).

The City is also planning to make additional pedestrian safety improvements on S. 43rd St. adjacent to Jackson Park. These “Safe Routes to Parks” improvements will be coordinated with upcoming Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District work in the park, and will make it safer for people crossing S. 43rd St. Improvements will likely include pedestrian refuge islands in the painted median and curb extensions in the parking lane. These improvements are expected to also slow motor vehicle speeds and prevent illegal passing on the right and left.

Please stay tuned, as the City is hopeful these improvements will also be installed this year!

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.