Family of man killed by piece of semi on I-94 asks for community's help

By: CBS58 Staff

Posted: May 24, 2017 6:27 PM CDT

NOW: Family of man killed by piece of semi on I-94 asks for community’s help

Update:

The family of Jay Tichelaar, the man killed after a piece of semi flew through his windshield has released a statement.

The family of Mr. Tichelaar is asking the community for help in identifying the semi-tractor trailer involved in this case. This case involves a random death that did not have to happen. All of us need to be protected from trucking companies that fail to care for their vehicles. The safety of our highways depends on accountability and therefore, it is important to determine the root cause of this crash in order to deter future neglect.

Original:

The 51-year-old Brookfield man was killed Monday afternoon when a piece of semi debris came through his windshield and struck him in the head as he was traveling on I-94 in Jefferson County.

According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, around 5:10 p.m. Jay Tichelaar was eastbound on I-94 near Johnson Creek when a piece of a brake from a semi-trailer truck crashed through the windshield of his car, striking him in the head.

The preliminary investigation indicates the piece of brake broke off the semi which did not stay on the scene of the accident.

The State Patrol is attempting to locate the vehicle and the driver as it continues to investigate the accident.

CBS 58 News has learned that investigators are looking for any video evidence of the truck.

The Department of Transportation has also been searching cameras and video files.

On Tuesday morning, a DOT rep told CBS 58 News that nothing had been found yet.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Wisconsin State Patrol.