PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a wrong-way crash that killed two people and sent two others to the hospital with serious injuries Monday.
The crash happened just before 1 a.m. on Interstate 43 north of County Highway H in the Town of Port Washington, according to the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO.)
Deputies said just over 10 minutes before the crash, they received several 911 calls about a vehicle driving the wrong way near Jay Road in the Town of Belgium.
Minutes later, the sheriff’s office said the driver of that vehicle, a 34-year-old man from Milwaukee, collided with another vehicle traveling the right way.
The collision killed two people inside and sent a third to the hospital.
Watch: Wrong-way crash on I-43 in Port Washington claims two lives and sends two to hospital
Ellie Uselding, who passed the scene on her way to work, recalled seeing the warning signs.
“I saw a sign that said accident ahead, and I turned off my cruise and said, ‘Oh boy, where is it?’” she said. “About half a mile down, there was a road closed sign right before the exit. I tried to peek over to see what was going on and thought I saw a crane.”
She later learned from a coworker that two people had died.
“On a Memorial Day weekend,” she said through tears. “Is it a family? Is it a granddaughter? We lost our son 18 and a half years ago from a terrible accident — My heart goes out to them.”
The OCSO said the driver of that car, a 51-year-old woman from Oostburg, was killed along with her passenger, a 56-year-old man from Oostburg.
The sheriff’s office said another passenger in that vehicle, a 22-year-old woman, had to be extricated and taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
The wrong-way driver, the sole occupant of his vehicle, was extricated and taken to a medical center in Grafton. He was then airlifted by Flight for Life to a hospital, where he is currently in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s office.
It’s unclear if alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash, according to the sheriff’s office. The investigation is ongoing.
As they investigate, Uselding urged drivers to stay cautious, especially during the busy holiday.
“Be safe and buckle up. Do the right thing. There’s people out there with families that need each other.”
The Port Washington fire chief released a statement expressing his condolences for those killed in the crash and thanked all the agencies that responded.
"As Fire Chief, I’m constantly reminded of just how skilled, dedicated, and professional our Fire and EMS personnel are. It’s incredible how our members can go from sound asleep to handling situations most people couldn’t even begin to imagine—all within a matter of minutes. Their ability to perform under pressure and manage multiple critical patients at once was truly impressive. The incident early this morning was a difficult one, and scenes like that are never easy for anyone involved. Yet once again, our responders rose to the occasion with unwavering professionalism and composure. I was deeply impressed by the coordination and collaboration among all agencies on scene, including our fire, EMS, and law enforcement partners. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone in the community who has been affected."
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