MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Police Chief Jeff Norman has strong words for reckless drivers after a police chase ended in a deadly crash after a man drove off the 16th Street viaduct and landed on the road below.
"It is unfortunate to see these types of incidents. It angers me in regards that people still engage in these types of behaviors,” said Chief Norman.
According to investigators, this started after police saw people in a Toyota Avalon involved in a suspected drug deal just before 6 p.m. on Thursday. Officers tried to pull over the car but they say the driver took off. Police say they chased the vehicle for about 60 seconds on the 16th Street viaduct when the driver crossed the center line heading straight for the Canal Street bus stop, hitting an 18-year-old woman on the sidewalk.
"We must remember one of our community members was harmed in that. There was a young teenage pedestrian that was struck by that particular vehicle,” said Norman.
Police say the car left the road, hit the sidewalk, crashed through a security fence and then landed on the road below where it caught fire.
"You just hear the screeching, the banging and the explosion,” said Mimi Reza, a witness to the crash.
A woman who was nearly hit by that car as she was driving over the bridge says the crash was terrifying to witness.
"I'm still shaking, I'm still shaking it happened,” said Reza.
The names of the people involved have not yet been released. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner did release the ages of two of them. One person was a 34-year-old man, the other was a 44-year-old man.
"Seeing how short that particular situation was. And how dangerous it was. To see that type of end result is very disheartening,” said Norman.
Police say the 18-year-old pedestrian was treated and released from the hospital for her injuries. The chase is still under investigation by police.
