2 dead in multi-vehicle crash in Brookfield
TOWN OF BROOKFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Two people are dead after a crash in the Town of Brookfield Thursday, Nov. 6.
The crash happened around 6:40 p.m. near Capitol and Gateway Road.
According to the Town of Brookfield Police Department, after exiting a joint driveway shared by 7 Eleven gas station and a Culver's restaurant, a driver mistakenly entered the westbound lanes of Capitol drive while traveling eastbound.
The vehicle was struck by another driver traveling westbound.
Two people in the vehicle that was struck were killed. They were identified by authorities as 91-year-old Eugen Magnuson and 87-year-old Grace Magnuson -- both from Brookfield.
The driver of the other vehicle sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Other drivers who were there at the time of the crash spoke to CBS 58 on Friday.
"They weren't slowing down, and all I thought was, someone's going to get hit," said witness, Greg Nardelli.
He was driving in the right westbound lane on Capitol, when Magnuson's sedan passed him in the left lane, going the wrong way.
"I saw two cars veer out of the way, but when the truck came, they had no chance," he explained. "You could hear the impact. It happened like a second behind me."
He said the sedan and a pickup truck hit each other head-on.
"I keep a pretty big following distance between me and other cars, and I'm really glad I did in this instance," said another driver, 16-year-old Adalynne Schrotenboer.
She was driving right behind the truck, when she saw other cars moving out of the way.
"The next thing I knew, the black pickup was going head first into the ditch," she said.
A terrifying experience - especially for a new driver.
"I've had my license for three weeks," Schrotenboer said. "I didn't really have time to panic. It was just that flight response that was like, okay, let's get somewhere safe."
Both witnesses told CBS 58 they are grateful to be okay, but heartbroken by the outcome.
"I just kept thinking, what if I was in the other lane, and that would have been me coming head-on," Nardelli said. "It's just a tragic thing."
Published: Nov. 6, 2025
TOWN OF BROOKFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Emergency crews are on the scene of a major crash in the Town of Brookfield Thursday evening, near Capitol and Gateway.
Wisconsin's Department of Transportation says it happened around 6:30 p.m. All eastbound and westbound lanes are blocked from Springdale Road to N. Barker Road on Capitol Drive.
The two vehicles involved are a four-door pickup truck and a smaller hatchback. Both have extensive front-end damage, and our crews on scene saw several airbags had deployed.
Bystanders tell us there were several ambulances on site immediately after the crash.
The Town of Brookfield Police Department, Pewaukee Police Department, and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department are investigating.
This is a developing story. CBS 58 has a crew at the scene working to learn more.