Police pursuit ends in crash with serious injuries in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) --Four people are now in the hospital with serious injuries following a police chase that happened Thursday night, Nov. 20, near 4th and Beecher.

A police pursuit that began in Greenfield ended in a crash on Thursday, according to Greenfield police.

A Greenfield police officer attempted to stop an unregistered car that was speeding around 8:14 p.m. near 27th and I-41/43/894, police said. The driver reportedly refused to stop, and the vehicle reached speeds over 100 mph during the pursuit. The chase ended when the suspect crashed into a light pole and then hit another vehicle at 4th and Becher. One witness, who did not want to be identified, got out of her car to help the victims.

“It was bad. I got out my car. Me and my daughter got out the car and we went to assist the ladies, trying to get them out,” she told CBS 58. “I was thinking, oh the car might explode. Let’s get these people out of here. The ladies was screaming. I would want somebody to help me.”

The driver and passenger in the uninvolved vehicle both sustained serious injuries and were transported to the hospital. The passenger had to be extricated from the vehicle.

“They had certain car parts just everywhere. It was ridiculous. It was a mess,” the witness told CBS 58.

Neighbors nearby say the intersection is known for speeding because of its proximity to the freeway.

“It makes me feel scared because we’re right on the corner. We’re very close by. I worry for her, I worry for my children,” said Amanda Starr, a nearby neighbor who heard the crash. “We’ve had a couple of cars come into our yard before and they took down the fence, too.”

The driver of the suspect vehicle, a 33-year-old Milwaukee man, was on active supervision and had multiple warrants, police say. He and a 31-year-old female passenger in the suspect vehicle both sustained serious injuries and were taken to the hospital.

“Eventually you’re gonna get caught, why risk other people’s lives out here?” said the witness.

Court records show he could face multiple felony charges including intent to deliver meth, cocaine, and fentanyl, as well as fleeing and recklessly endangering safety. The Milwaukee Police Department is investigating the crash. Those charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office. Witnesses say they want police to find a way to pursue reckless drivers without putting bystanders at risk.

“It puts the person they’re pursuing in danger, it also puts us in danger as well,” said Starr.