"I hope the DOT looks into this:" SUV hits black ice, loses control and flips in Zoo Interchange

WAUWATOSA -- An icy crash on a perfectly dry day. A Wauwatosa family says they are lucky to be alive after their car flipped in the Zoo Interchange. They say they hit black ice and it was not an act of Mother Nature.

Zoo Interchange

"I am very grateful that everyone survived," said Jynine Strand.

It is a ride home from Thanksgiving Jynine Strand and her family will never forget.

"Supposedly they were screaming as we were turning over. I don't remember anything except for hearing bump, bump, bump," said Strand.

Jynine Strand

Pictures of the family SUV are devastating after flipping twice when traveling through the Zoo Interchange on Saturday, November 28th.

"The first thing on my mind was are my daughters OK," said Strand.

Strand, her triplet 15-year-olds, husband, and even two dogs made it out relatively unharmed.



Besides the shock of the crash, the family is just as surprised at what they believe caused it.

Strand family

"My husband saw what appeared to be a pie-shaped area that looked wet," said Strand.

While on the connector from I-94 East to 45 North, the family came across an unexpected element on a perfectly dry day.

"He lost complete control, it was black ice," said Strand.

They believe water was dripping from construction crews on a ramp above. The water pooling and freezing on the highway below.

Construction above Zoo Interchange

"I hope number one, the DOT looks into this area," Strand said.

They may not be the only victims that night -- a junk yard showed the family a car they were told crashed just hours later.

Adding to the frustration, a responding deputy says he asked for a salt truck to respond nearly 30 minutes before their crash.

"I'm still having nightmares about that accident," said Strand.

A DOT spokesperson says they've had no reports of pooling water at the location, but they'll look into it.

Strand is hoping other drivers now have heads up of a possible new danger through Wisconsin's busiest interchange.

Strand says on top of their troubles, they've been told they may have to pay for the guard rail they crashed through.