"I've already had three flat tires:" Milwaukee residents are tired of seeing crash debris

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MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Snowy conditions lead to more accidents and sometimes dangerous debris left on the road. Milwaukee residents say that debris isn't getting cleaned up and sometimes left on the side of the road for weeks.

South Side residents say a bumper had been on the road on S 24th and W. National since a crash on Dec 1. Milwaukee resident Evelyn Medina says she sees debris from car crashes all the time. Medina said she is frustrated.

"I've already had three flat tires," Medina said.

Medina said she's getting the flats because of debris from car crashes that are left on Milwaukee streets near her south side home.

"I'm tired of seeing the same thing over and over again," Medina said. "Mirrors everywhere, glass everywhere. I don't even want to drive anymore."

Jalisa Green is also frustrated.

"People's cars are being damaged because there are leftover pieces of the car that was hit," Jalisa Green said. "They're not picking this stuff up, they're leaving it there."

Wisconsin State Patrol Sargent Wendy Younglove said the state does not have a specific clean up policy. Younglove said tow truck drivers are supposed to pick up any debris left on the street and put it in the towed vehicle. All tow truck drivers and state troopers should be carrying brooms to clean up debris. However, Medina said that's not what she sees happening.

"They pick up half and leave the other half right there," Medina said. "Like let them pick it up? No it's not our job. It's not our fault."

It's a system Alderman Khalif Rainey wants to change the current system.

Ald. Rainey said in a statement today:

It (vehicle debris) can be strewn at an intersection for days, and it looks awful. We need to do a better job of getting the debris hauled away.

Ald. Rainey wants a notification system to be created. It would potentially notify Milwaukee Department of Public Works and the Milwaukee Police Department about debris from crashes that need to be picked up. He hopes this would prevent residents from having to clean up debris on Milwaukee streets in the future.

"A lot of them do pick it up themselves. I'm like ‘oh my gosh,’ this is ridiculous," Medina said. "It's a shame."

If you'd like to report any road debris, you can do so by calling  (414) 286-CITY (2489).

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