1 dead, 1 seriously hurt in single-vehicle crash in Waukesha, icy roads believed factor

WAUKESHA -- One person was killed and another suffered life-threatening injuries in a single-vehicle crash Wednesday morning, Jan. 10 in Waukesha. The victim who died has been identified as Dustin Lazowski, 35, from Milwaukee.

Police and fire units were dispatched to the intersection of Broadway and Les Paul Parkway shortly before 8 a.m.

 

Upon arrival, they located a single-vehicle crash occupied by a driver and passenger. The passenger was transported to Froedtert Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver was found dead inside the vehicle.

Police are still actively investigating this incident -- but it appears that icy road conditions were a contributing factor in the crash. Officials said thawing during the day amid warmer temperatures and freezing at night can create ice, surprising drivers.

Meanwhile, the weather created other problems Wednesday as well -- keeping We Energies' crews busy. Utility pole fires from Kenosha to Appleton knocked out power to 5,000 customers.

According to We Energies officials, the combination of fog mixed with the abundant amount of road salt on area roadways sparked 12 utility pole fires. Officials said the combination can cause the electrical lines to heat up.

Anyone can monitor the outages in SE Wisconsin with the We Energies Outage Map, which updates every 15 minutes.

Officials said it is unusual to see fires like this in January.