A Milwaukee woman is thanking a man who stopped to help her when she was stranded on top of her car in flood waters on Friday.
It happened Friday morning on I-43 near Good Hope Road. Several drivers had to abandon their cars after heavy rain moved through, flooding the freeway and shutting it down.
Danielle Crawford says she was driving to work when traffic came to a standstill. Before she knew it, her front tires were in the water.
"As more cars were going past, they're pushing me further and further into the flood," said Crawford.
She says a wall of water from a semi truck twisted her car around, leaving her stranded in the flood. Her car stalled from the water so she wasn't able to drive away.
"Somehow, some way the power came back on and I was able to get the window down and climb on top," she said.
Video from a DOT traffic camera shows Crawford waiting for help, as more cars go past and waves of water hit her car.
"It was frightening me," she said. "More water was just splashing in my face."
She called 911, but was told rescuers couldn't get to her at the moment, but then she says a man with a motorcycle came back for her.
"He had walked into the water to come get me out of the water and he held me hand by hand until we got out," she said. "All I was able to do was give him a hug but I would like to treat him to dinner if anyone can find him."
Despite more heavy rain on the way Monday night, officials with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation say flooding like that likely won't happen again. Part of the construction project near Good Hope Road involved installing larger storm sewers.
That work was completed over the weekend, ahead of schedule, according to the DOT. The larger storm sewers should be able to handle heavy rain and prevent flooding.
