Facebook Wauwatosa accident video and photos showed a tragic scene
Dramatic photos and videos showed the aftermath of a traffic accident in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, that took the lives of three people at an intersection near a busy shopping mall. You can see them throughout this article, but be aware that they are disturbing.
Several videos show multiple vehicles on fire; in one video, shared by journalist Tajma Hall on Facebook, a woman’s screams echo in the background.
The Wauwatosa police chief, James MacGillis, confirmed in a news conference that three people were dead in the afternoon crash, which occurred on December 13, 2022.
Multiple local television stations aired dramatic viewer video showing the vehicles on fire.
The crash was caused by a City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works employee, who was driving a DPW truck, MacGillis said. However, it’s not clear whether that driver had a medical emergency or something else was going on. According to MacGillis, the driver, who was not named, is one of the three accident fatalities.
The DPW worker was named as Denise Durrah. The other two victims were named as Amy Miller of Cedarburg and Paul Woida of Milwaukee.
“We are still investigating the circumstances leading up to the crash however there is no indication that the crash was intentional,” Sergeant Abby L. Pavlik of the Wauwatosa Police Department told Heavy in an email.
Three people confirmed killed in a fiery crash involving a @milwaukeedpw truck and at least 6 other vehicles at Mayfair Road & Wisconsin Ave in #Wauwatosa. DPW Truck appears to have slammed into vehicles stopped at a stoplight. Witnesses estimate 50-80mph. #WISN12
Here’s what you need to know:
The Chief Says the DPW Truck Crashed Into Cars Stopped in Traffic
:: Viewer video of the multi-car crash at Mayfair Road and Wisconsin Avenue.
At least one fatality, as @mkemedexamine is responding.
Appears one of the vehicles involved was a @milwaukeedpw dump truck.
According to MacGillis, the fatal crash occurred when the DPW truck slammed into vehicles that were stopped in traffic. The victims were not named; two other people were taken to the hospital, but their conditions are not clear, the chief said.
Major fire and police response in #Wauwatosa at Wisconsin and Mayfair for multi vehicle crash and fire involving a @milwaukeedpw truck. Multiple ambulances at the scene. #WISN12 News
The heavy DPW truck “collided with several vehicles which were stopped in traffic,” said the chief, who added that the three deceased victims were all adults.
He said that 10 vehicles were involved in the crash.
“Our hearts go out to the families of the deceased, the injured and those who witnessed this horrific crash today,” the chief said.
WISN-TV journalist Nick Bohr tweeted that the victim vehicles were at a stoplight and the DPW vehicle was traveling between 50 and 80 miles per hour when it crashed into them, per witness accounts. MacGillis was asked about the speed, and he declined to comment, saying it was under investigation. He also would not comment on whether the driver of the DPW truck had a medical emergency.
A Minor Accident Preceded the Fatal Crash
According to the police chief, there were two accidents in short order involving the DPW truck near Mayfair Mall, a busy shopping mall located in Wauwatosa, which is a suburban city adjacent to the City of Milwaukee.
Scene is still very much active at the corner of Wisconsin and Mayfair in Wauwatosa @620wtmj
First, the DPW vehicle was involved in a minor crash at Mayfair and Watertown Plank Roads, a short distance from the scene of the fatal crash at North Mayfair Road and West Wisconsin Avenue, he said.
The 911 calls began flooding the Wauwatosa Police Department around 12:05 p.m. on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, he said, first reporting the minor crash and then reporting the major one, in which vehicles burst into flames.
A viewer shared with TMJ4 News these photos of the fiery crash on Mayfair Road in Tosa. We just learned it is a deadly crash. Details: t.co/PrtFLx6Ft1
He said that the DPW truck drove away from the scene of the first crash, and that bystanders gave aid to victims in the second crash.
The victims’ names have not yet been released. It’s also not clear whether they were in different vehicles.
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