I-94 crashes, fires at Kenosha-Racine county line; 2 on same day
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. - A five-vehicle crash and fire shut down I-94 southbound in Kenosha County for hours on Friday. And minutes after it was cleared, a different fire in the same area prompted backups again.
Kenosha County crash, fire
The original crash and fire happened in Somers, just south of County Highway KR, around 3 p.m. Viewer video and pictures showed a semi-trailer engulfed in flames in the southbound lanes.
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According to Somers Fire and Rescue, just after 3 p.m., crews were dispatched to the area of I-94 near County Highway KR for a semi vs. vehicle accident. South Shore Fire also responded.
Upon arrival, crews saw that the accident involved three semi-trucks and four other vehicles. Two of the trucks and one of the vehicles were on fire.
Mutual aid was requested, and several area fire departments also responded to the scene.
While assessing the scene, crews saw that leaking fuel had ignited in the storm drains, causing a fire in the east ditch.
Four people were taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries that do not appear life-threatening.
Traffic was initially shut down in both directions. While the northbound lanes reopened around 6 p.m., southbound traffic remained closed. The backups lasted hours and stretched for miles into Racine County. Drivers were diverted onto frontage roads, where the gridlock continued.
"My daughter is waiting at the airport, and we are going to pick her up," said Sahana. "We have been stopped for about two-and-a-half, three hours now."
The southbound lanes were cleared around 9:05 p.m. – but the delays did not stop there.
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Racine County fire
Southbound lanes were cleared around 9:05 p.m. – but backups began again minutes later.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, a car fire was reported in the same area around 9:10 p.m. It blocked the left shoulder of I-94 southbound in Racine County, just north of CTH-KR.
The Racine County Sheriff's Office said a man experienced a medical event, leading to a crash. There was no sign of impairment, and no one required medical transport. The man's vehicle caught fire and was a total loss.
Backups after second crash, vehicle fire on I-94 near County Highway KR