MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A father is speaking out after his daughter and her friend were severely injured when a driver crashed through barricades on Water Street last weekend.
READ ALSO: Mother outraged after Milwaukee driver who severely injured her daughter faces only citation
"They were in the crosswalk, they were behind the side of the barricade they should've been on," Joe Zganjar, Samantha's father, told TMJ4 in an exclusive interview.
Samantha Zganjar and her friend Chloe Handrich were hit by a driver who blew through pedestrian barricades on Water Street, leaving both with serious injuries.
"She just graduated UW Eau Claire, she got what would be her full time job, but she was accepted to UWM for her master's program for psychology," Joe Zganjar said.
All those plans are now on hold as Samantha Zganjar recovers from substantial injuries. She had five teeth knocked out when her head slammed into a curb, suffered several fractures across her face and head, received dozens of stitches, and has other broken limbs.
We want to warn you, the images below are disturbing. The Zganjar Family said they want us to share them because they want people to see how severe their daughter's injuries are.
Click or tap to reveal image (warning - graphic content):
"As a parent, all you wanna do is fix and help, and it's like you can't fix and help anything right now," Joe Zganjar said. "It's new stuff is coming every day it seems like," he added. "The whole scenario's been very frustrating for us as parents."
That frustration intensified when the families learned the driver responsible was only cited for failing to yield and driving without insurance or car registration.
Watch: Parents of girls injured in Water Street crash plead for immediate change
"I'm confident mistakes were made that night. This woman should've been arrested without a doubt and I'm confident that will be corrected," Joe Zganjar explained.
Both families said their frustrations extend beyond the lack of charges.
"MPD is saying that the orange barricades are used to stop vehicular traffic to make it a pedestrian zone," TMJ4's Jenna Rae said to Joe Zganjar.
"I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out clearly it doesn't," he responded
"There was no regard for these two 22-year-old girls whose lives have completely changed," Karen Handrich, Chloe's mom, said.
Milwaukee Police said in an email they are "in the process of securing additional barriers to enhance pedestrian security" and that "they are amending operational plans to include meridian barriers."
"Obviously a wooden barricade isn't preventing anything. And permanent fixtures need to be in place," Karen Handrich said.
These parents said they want to see change now.
"I remember actually seeing the mayor who currently ran for office that he was talking about safe driving. I haven't heard from the mayor. My daughter hasn't gotten a call. Would it have been better if Samantha and Chloe weren't here? Would that have made a little more noise? What would it take for somebody to step up?" Zganjar added.
In a statement, the mayor's office said the mayor is aware of the incident and alarmed by what happened. They added that the mayor will discuss this with his Vision Zero team and with police to see what further steps might be appropriate. He also wished a fast and full recovery for Sam and Chloe.
To donate to Sam Zganjar's recovery, click here.
To donate to Chloe Handrich's recovery, click here.
This story was reported on-air by Jenna Rae and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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