DOT suspects alcohol use by driver, passenger in striking vehicle in weekend wrong-way crash

KENOSHA COUNTY (WITI) -- The Wisconsin Department of Transportation on Monday afternoon, September 22nd released the names of the individuals involved in a fatal wrong-way crash that occurred on Sunday morning, September 21st. One person was killed and three people were injured in the two vehicles involved.

The crash happened shortly before 1:00 a.m. on I-94 westbound, north of State Highway 142 in Kenosha County -- near Kenosha.

The DOT says a white pickup truck was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of I-94. A trooper observed the truck and had it stopped, but the truck fled -- continuing the wrong way on I-94.

That's when the DOT says the white pickup truck struck a northbound pickup truck head-on.

One person in the pickup truck that was struck by the wrong-way driver died in the crash. That pickup truck's passenger suffered serious injuries.

The DOT says the wrong-way driver suffered life-threatening injuries, and the passenger suffered less serious injuries.

We've learned the driver of the pickup truck that was struck is 48-year-old Robert Miller of Grafton. He was killed in the crash.

His passenger was 47-year-old Christine Miller, also of Grafton. She was taken to St. Catherine's Hospital for treatment of her injuries. She is expected to survive.

The DOT says the Millers were each wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash.

The DOT says the driver of the striking pickup truck (the wrong-way driver) was a 19-year-old Milwaukee man. He was taken to Froedtert Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

His passenger was a 17-year-old Milwaukee male. He was taken to St. Catherine's Hospital for treatment of his injuries, and he is expected to survive.

The DOT says the striking pickup truck's driver and passenger were wearing their seatbelts.

The DOT says it suspects the striking pickup truck's driver and passenger had used alcohol at the time of the crash.

"You don't want to be driving no matter what, but you know, especially in this case -- fleeing from the police, that's just a little...a little nuts," Tyson Wehrmeister, co-owner of the nearby Mars Cheese Castle said.

Kevin Verbunker says he was among a group of Good Samaritans who stopped to help after the crash.

"Anything that was necessary that we could do, we took care of it. There was someone in the passenger side and the truck was on fire. When I smashed the window with the force forward, my head was able to enter the vehicle, and all you could smell was a stagnant liquor smell," Verbunker said.

The investigation into this incident continues. It is unclear at this time whether anyone will be charged in connection with the crash.

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