2 injured, 2 arrested after police pursuit leads to another crash at Teutonia & Villard

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Two people were taken to a local hospital Wednesday, November 1, after a crash on Milwaukee's north side.

According to Milwaukee police, officers tried to stop a vehicle near Townsend and Philip Place that was wanted in an armed robbery. Police say the driver refused to stop and a pursuit began.

It ended when the vehicle ran a red light and hit another vehicle at Teutonia and Villard.

Two 45-year-old people who were in the vehicle that was hit were taken to a local hospital with non-fatal injuries.

The driver of the fleeing vehicle, a 33-year-old man, and the passenger of the fleeing vehicle, a 36-year-old woman, were both arrested.

The cars eventually crashed into a BP gas station sign at Teutonia and Villard.

That gas station has been hit so many times that the owner put up barriers to protect the gas pumps. But people are still getting injured.

The surveillance video shows just how violent the crash was.

Jasbir Singh is the owner of the gas station, said, "There have been so many crashes here. This is a busy intersection, but the people over here drive very recklessly."

Singh will now have to rebuild his sign for the third time. It cost $25,000 to replace it when it was destroyed in January, but now he said, "Since the foundation is kind of ruined on this it's going to be like over $35,000."

The driver responsible for the last crash did not have insurance so Singh had to file a claim with his insurer, and his rates went up.

But Singh said he's concerned with safety more than money.

After the very first crash, he put giant boulders up as protection.

On Wednesday, he said, "Luckily, thank God, there was nobody standing, and they didn’t get hurt or anything or killed."

There are several businesses at the intersection, but there is also a bus stop. Which means that at any point during the day there could be people standing right where the two cars crashed.

That corner is Marissa Washington's bus stop. She told us, "Where the car accident just happened, I stand right there."

Marissa was not there on Wednesday when the crash happened. But she has had some close calls, saying, "I was close to getting hit a few months ago standing right here in this area."

And she's not alone. Lashai Ruffin told us she will not stand near the street while she waits for her buses. She said, "I feel like somebody might drive around and drive up on the curb."

A streetlight that helped light the intersection on Singh's corner was also taken out in a crash, presenting another challenge.

Singh told us, "I just want people to drive slower and safer around this area. It’s a busy intersection."

He said the repeated crashes have forced him to think about moving locations.

But he said he feels a responsibility to stay and serve the community, even though it's costing him thousands of dollars.

Singh is waiting for a report from MPD and for the insurance situation to shake out. In the meantime, he's already thinking about installing even bigger cement barriers on the corner.

Criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County DA's Office in the coming days.