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Child ejected, adult injured in early morning I-94 crash

Posted at 12:44 PM, Jan 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-29 18:38:41-05

WAUKESHA COUNTY — A child was ejected and an adult was injured in an early morning Friday crash on I-94. The crash shut down the left two lanes of traffic on the interstate, in both directions, for more than two hours.

According to a release from WisDOT, the single-car crash happened on eastbound I-94 east of Elm Grove Drive in Waukesha County. Wisconsin State Patrol says the driver, traveling at a high rate of speed, crashed into the median and a freeway sign on eastbound 94 near Elm Grove Road. The car flipped, and a child inside was ejected.

WisDOT said the child did not sustain any life-threatening injuries. The driver was treated at an area hospital but also did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

The DOT camera captured what appears to be a man from another vehicle, pull over and carry the child away from the crash scene. The video shows the man placing the child in the backseat of his car before taking off. That child was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Children’s Hospital. The driver was treated at Froedtert.

DOT cam captures crash on I-94

Investigators with Wisconsin State Patrol say the driver was speeding, and that the outcome of the crash could have been much worse. They urge everyone to slow down and really pay attention while driving.

This comes as a new traffic safety study finds speed alone can be the difference between minor damage and severe consequences following a collision. The research shows crashing at high speeds can cancel out car-safety technology, like airbags.

"Saving a few minutes on a trip is not worth the increased risk of potentially being involved in a crash, or potentially being injured in a crash,” said David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. “It really pays to slow down and save a life.”

Harkey says while the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced traffic on roadways, speeding and distracted driving are surging across the country.

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