MILWAUKEE — A pedestrian was struck during a car crash and hurled into a light pole near 35th and Townsend on Thursday.
In a statement, Milwaukee police said officers were called around 2:38 p.m. near Sherman and Townsend. An investigation found a vehicle was heading on Townsend, disregarded a red light and crashed into a second vehicle heading north on Sherman. After being hit by the first vehicle, that second vehicle hit a pedestrian standing on the median, police said.
The pedestrian, identified as a 59-year-old Milwaukee man, was brought to the hospital 'for treatment', police said. The driver of the first vehicle, a 44-year-old Milwaukee woman, possibly suffered an injury. The driver of the second vehicle, a 48-year-old Milwaukee man, did not suffer any injuries, police said.
A TMJ4 News viewer shared video of the crash with us. The doorbell camera footage shows the moment two cars collided. One of them careened into a pedestrian standing in the median. The impact sent that person into a light pole.
According to the Milwaukee Fire Department, the victim is a man in his 60s. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
Steve O'Connell with the Sherman Park Reckless Driving Task Force said when he goes for walks in his neighborhood, this kind of crash is always in the back of his mind.
"That could happen to anybody walking on our streets. That's what's disastrous about this whole thing," O'Connell said.
The Sherman and Townsend intersection has long been a concern for his group. Especially with Townsend Street school right at the intersection and a church just a block away.
"One hour later and children would've been coming out of school and having to cross that street to go back into the neighborhood. And that's always been our concern about this intersection," he said.
The intersection is so bad, he's even changed his driving habit to avoid ending up in a crash.
"My wife and I, we deliver food for our older adults, and we come through this intersection on Wednesday mornings. We always wait until the traffic is completely stopped before we drive out into the intersection," O'Connell said of his extra-cautious driving.
He believes one of the solutions to the reckless driving issue is red light cameras.
"We've got to get a handle on this and just starting slowing people down in these intersections," he pleaded.
He worries if there's no change soon, more people will leave the neighborhood.
"This is a beautiful neighborhood and this is a very homeowner neighborhood. These are all residents that call this home and value this neighborhood. But when crashes like this happen, they wonder," O'Connell said.
