I-94 Reopens After 2 Die In Semi Truck Crash

RACINE COUNTY, WI -- By the time morning breaks over Racine County on Thursday, the traffic will once again be flowing in both directions on I-94. Less than 24 hours prior, the scene was anything but tranquil: a deadly chain reaction crash near the Highway K overpass resulted two dead, a fiery crash, teams of investigators and cleanup crews, and a glut of motorists that poured onto surface streets.

Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling could only sum up Wednesday's crash in one sentence: “In my 24 years of being on this job, this was the worst accidents I have ever seen,” he said during a press conference held midday Wednesday.

According to the Racine County Sheriff's office, the driver of a semi truck was heading south at about 11 a.m. when one of its tires blew out. The semi careened into a temporary construction barrier, overcorrected and crashed into a median that separated the two directions of traffic.

Schmaling said a semi heading north collided with the dislodged barrier, but not before an evasive maneuver by the driver resulted in the semi swinging wildly to the east. The semi careened over the east wall and down a hill onto the street below.

Authorities said both semi trailers - the one going north and the other going south - ended up bursting into flames and setting other cars on fire. The dark plumes of smoke could be seen for miles. Authorities also said two people in cars were seriously hurt.

At The Scene

Walking up to the scene of the crash, you can see the charred hulk of a semi truck that had torn apart and careened over the east wall of the northbound I-94 lanes. There was not much of the cabin, engine compartment and 53-foot-long trailer that was attached.

The cabin was still on fire and smoldering more than an hour after the crash. Authorities have been diverting traffic away from the scene, and local county highways are also experiencing significant delays as daytime motorists attempt to find a way from what is appearing to be a tragic loss of life on I-94.

According to a WISN-TV report, a witness of the crash told the TV station that they heard the sound of an explosion, and saw a mushroom cloud of smoke.

The area where Wednesday's tragic accident happened is currently under construction. If you have ever driven on I-94 from Illinois up through Milwaukee, you're no stranger to freeway construction.

Road conditions on this particular stretch of I-94 made for slower-speed construction zones, temporary lane closures, tighter lanes in some cases and road grade changes as lanes diverted around work zones.

"There's no secret, I-94 is under extreme construction," Schmaling said during Wednesday's press conference. "We've been experiencing a lot of crashes, as you can imagine. We're used to traveling 70 miles an hour. I think if we followed some basic rules, allowed enough distance to stop, it would prevent us from getting in accidents."