MILWAUKEE — A 23-year-old woman died after police say she was speeding, tried to pass another vehicle, lost control, and crashed into a light pole and a fire hydrant Tuesday morning.
Milwaukee police say the crash happened around 2:44 a.m. on northbound 35th Street at Townsend.
At the time of the crash, four other people were in the car: a 30-year-old Milwaukee woman, a 33-year-old Milwaukee woman, a 12-year-old Milwaukee girl, and a 7-year-old Milwaukee boy.
The adult driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The four passengers were treated on the scene by medical personnel.
TMJ4 obtained surveillance video of the crash from Pak Technologies on North 35th Street.
"It's gone too far," said James Barringer, Director of Operations. "People are getting hurt. A young woman died this morning. It's tragic, but I hope people learn from it at least."
Barringer says he worries about his employees on their drives to and from work every day.
"We have to stop at green lights around here," he says. "Look both ways, then proceed through them. We're constantly seeing cars flying by and rollover accidents. Our drivers turn into the driveway and cars that are passing in the bike lane try to beat them. We've seen them jump up on the sidewalk even."
Looking closer at the issue of passing other cars on the right, in what is not actually a lane for vehicles, but rather for bikes. It is an illegal maneuver many of us see drivers do every day in Milwaukee. It's even been coined "The Milwaukee Slide."
The most recent information we have from MPD shows just in the first six months of 2022, 123 drivers were ticketed for passing on the right. They ranged in age from 18 to 75 years old.
Anyone with any information on Tuesday morning's crash is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-Tips or P3 Tips.
