18-year-old woman killed in crash near West Allis bar

Updated: 11:18 a.m. on April 23, 2023

WEST ALLIS. Wis. (CBS 58) -- West Allis police report they received phone calls around 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, April 23, about a serious car crash near 60th and Burnham.

According to the report, when police arrived, they found two cars in front of the business on the southeast corner of the intersection.

A preliminary investigation reports a Pontiac, driven by a 20-year-old West Allis man with an 18-year-old female passenger, was going eastbound on Burnham Street and ran a red light hitting a Jeep, driven by a female with no other passengers, traveling on 60th Street.

The crash caused the cars to hit two pedestrians.

The report also says that driver impairment and speed seem to be factors in the crash.

Police say the female passenger of the Pontiac died due to the crash.

The 18-year-old driver of the Jeep, as well as a 53-year-old male and a 50-year-old male pedestrian, all from Milwaukee, were taken to a hospital for treatment of their injuries.

The driver of the Pontiac was taken to the hospital and is under arrest for suspicion of homicide by operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Inside 'Da Bar' in West Allis, Aces High, A Tribute to Iron Maiden Lead Guitarist Aaron Lane says it was a scary moment.

"We were playing a song, the owner came running up and said he needs to cut the music, and kind of like what's going on, you know," said Lane.

Then, they saw police lights coming from the back door.

"I just, I don't even know. It's just so surreal. It's not supposed to happen like this."

"She's young. And it's not fair to her. She was a passenger," said 'Da Bar' owner Markus Gorsic, who saw it all unfold first-hand. "I feel sorry for them and it's terrible. I was outside and tried to do everything that we could, but it was too late. I prayed for them."

Gorsic says the city has worked hard to improve the intersection, and now he's not sure what else they can do to prevent things like this from happening.

"[The city has tried] to do something, like bike lanes and stuff they paint in [more traffic control], but people don't care. It doesn't matter what you do. they just do it all day," Gorsic said as he was interrupted by a noisy vehicle driving fast. "You see? That's what I'm trying to say."

The crash is still under investigation.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the victim of the crash.

You can find it here.