MILWAUKEE, Wis.— A Milwaukee mother of three is slowly recovering after being seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash during the early hours of New Year's Day. Lisa Wolf sat down with TMJ4 for an exclusive interview, hoping her story would open the eyes of drivers across Milwaukee.
For Wolf, reliving the night of the crash is both physically and emotionally challenging.
"The only thing I could think of was wanting to get home to my kids," Wolf said.
She was on her way home from work as a restaurant manager in Brookfield. While driving down 35th Street near Juneau Avenue, she felt a huge impact from behind. Wolf says she woke up with her car flipped upside down and crawled out through the trunk.
"Even the witnesses didn't believe that I got out. But I'm here for a reason, besides being the only provider for my children, there's a reason I'm here," Wolf said.
The Milwaukee Police Department said the driver who hit Wolf ran away from the scene. Now, Wolf is left battling a severe concussion along with injuries to her ankle, hip, and fingers.
Watch: Mother of three slowly recovers after New Year's Day hit-and-run crash
"It's more pain than I've ever experienced, and emotionally, I wouldn't want anyone else to go through this," Wolf said.
At 35th and Juneau, remnants from the crash remain visible - pieces of taillights, scraps from Wolf's car, and crushed branches from the impact. As Wolf continues on her long road to recovery, she hopes that sharing her story saves lives.
"I think that there needs to be follow-through and harsher penalties on when these crimes are committed that they don't just receive a citation or a year of probation," Wolf said.
State crash records from the Department of Transportation show at least seven deadly wrecks have happened on 35th Street between Capitol Drive and West Greenfield Avenue since January of 2024.
When asked what's being done, Milwaukee police said they are working with community partners to make streets safer. But for Wolf, the reality of this crash goes far beyond the numbers.
"This has forever changed my life and my children's lives. I'll never be the same," Wolf said.
The search for the driver who hit her continues. Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee Police at (414) 935-7232 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (414) 224-Tips or P3 Tips.
Wolf says she doesn't know when she will be able to go back to work. A GoFundMe has been created to support her during this time.
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