MILWAUKEE -- A man is in critical condition after a hit-and-run crash in Milwaukee Thursday night.
The wreck happened at approximately 8:40 p.m. at 17th Street and North Avenue.
Milwaukee police said the driver of a Chevy Suburban ran a stop light and collided with a PT Cruiser. As a result, the PT cruiser then struck two other vehicles stopped at the light.
The driver of the PT Cruiser, 35, was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The people in the two other cars were not hurt.
"They had to cut him out. The fire department had to use the jaws to get him out. He's been at the hospital for hours. He's in bad shape," said Vince Ashford, a friend of the victim.
Ashford has been a security guard at Jake's Deli for seven years. He said the driver of the PT Cruiser was just getting off work and he's been an employee at Jake's for 15 years.
Witnesses said the suburban and another SUV were racing down North when the crash happened. They say after the crash, the driver tried to drive off, but his SUV stopped and that's when the driver of the other SUV picked him up and fled from the scene.
"No one ever stopped to see if he was OK. No one stopped to see about the other two cars. It's just sad how it's getting," Ashford said.
The owners of Jake's Deli didn't want to talk on camera, but the public relations company that represents the deli released a statement saying,"We are saddened by the events yesterday evening as a friend and employee of 15 years at Jake's was victim to a reckless auto accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the family here at Jake's as we will be closed on Friday."
