MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee mother and father were killed Sunday afternoon when their car struck a tree and caught fire on the city's north side, leaving behind children and a community of family and friends struggling to process the sudden loss.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Two people dead after car crashes into tree in Milwaukee
Latasha Campbell, 38, and her boyfriend Jeremiah Jefferies, 39, died in the crash that occurred around 3:59 p.m. near the 8700 block of West Appleton Avenue. Campbell was driving and Jefferies was a passenger when their vehicle, traveling southeast on Appleton Avenue, collided with a tree.
The couple had just dropped off Jefferies' son and were heading home when the accident occurred. Campbell was a mother, and Jefferies was a father of two. Their dog Bella also died in the crash.
Several neighbors heard the collision and rushed outside to help.
"My wife looked out the window and said, 'It's a car on fire,'" neighbor Otis Thomas said.
Watch: Milwaukee couple dies in crash, family and friends left grieving
"We saw the car on fire, and then we saw them actually trying to get the driver out. Then it exploded a little bit," Thomas said.
Betty Goner, speaking on behalf of Campbell's family, said the tragedy remains difficult to comprehend.
"It's still so surreal to me, like I wake up, like, Am I dreaming?" Goner said.
They met at church. Goner had been friends with Campbell for over a decade and described their close bond.
"We like to listen to music. We like to have girls' night. We like to play Uno and have our friends over," Goner said.
Campbell's final words to her mother were particularly poignant given the circumstances.
"Our friend Tasha told her mama, moments before, she was cute, she said life is too short. Enjoy it while you can. And moments later, her life was gone," Goner said.
On Monday, Goner helped the family clean up the home where the two lived.
Goner remembered Jefferies for his musical talents and the love he showed to those around him.
"He was a great rapper. Like Jeremiah was a great rapper," Goner said.
The crash remains under investigation by Milwaukee Police, with authorities working to determine what led to the collision.
For Goner and others mourning the loss, the tragedy serves as a reminder to cherish time with loved ones.
"Let's hug a little harder. Let's tell people we love them, because you don't know tomorrow's not promised," Goner said.
According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, neither victim was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
This story was reported on-air by Mike Beiermeister 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.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
