MILWAUKEE — A man died after he lost control, crashed and his vehicle caught fire at Appleton and Silver Spring in Milwaukee Monday evening.
Milwaukee police said in a statement the man crashed just before 9:30 p.m. When he lost control, the vehicle left the roadway, struck a pole and then a tree. When the vehicle came to a rest, it caught fire.
Family confirmed it was Dontrell Taylor who died on the scene near Appleton and Silver Spring. Taylor was a popular fitness coach in Milwaukee.
“I just...This is just ridiculous,” said longtime friend Darnell Lester as he surveyed the scene.
It was a surreal sight the next morning for dozens of friends and loved ones pulling up to survey what happened the night before.
“He was an all-around good guy, always worried about other people,” Lester said.
The trail of damage ran about 200 feet between the initial point of impact and rest.
There have been four reported crashes at this intersection so far this year. Last year at this time, there were two.
Police also note a significant increase in citations given at the intersection. There have been 23 so far this year. That is nearly four times as many as the six there were on this date last year.
“He deserved better than that. Whatever happened, he deserved better than that,” said Tee Hutchins.
Tee Hutchins and Taylor had a very unique relationship. She was his assistant and he was her training coach at his business, TaylorFit Fitness.
Fitness was Taylor's way to helping dozens across Milwaukee along their health journey.
“Everybody would come out and he would work us to death and we would have fun with it. We would want to quit. He would say, no don’t stop,” Hutchins said.
The news is tough now for loved ones who will have to live on without him.
“I used to tell him when I was hurting, ‘Don't do that.’ Now it's like, ‘Don’t be gone. Don’t be gone. Don't be gone.' It’s hard."
Police say there weren't any actual witnesses to the crash. The cause of this crash is still being investigated.
Taylor was the only person inside the vehicle. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene of the crash. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, according to MPD.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-Tips or P3 Tips App.
