Milwaukee Riverwest crash, Humboldt and Center, car wrapped around tree

Surveillance cameras captured a violent Milwaukee crash in Riverwest early Tuesday, April 25 that left a vehicle wrapped around a tree and three people hurt.

It happened around 6:30 a.m. in a construction zone near Humboldt and Center.

Police said the driver, a 19-year-old Milwaukee man, 19, the front-seat passenger, a Delafield woman, 24, and the backseat passenger, a Franklin woman, 18, were taken to the hospital for treatment. 

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The driver and the front-seat passenger had to be extricated from the vehicle. 

Police said speed appeared to have been a factor, and a firearm was recovered at the scene. 

David Jones captured the crash and aftermath with his surveillance cameras and cellphone. He said the driver missed the stop sign and came flying into the closed lane, going over the median and crashing into a tree in the yard at the Humboldt Apartments.

Jones said in 30 years living in the neighborhood, he's seen at least 10 crashes in front of his house. Police said there were three in 2022 and two in 2023, including Tuesday's crash.

"I’m talking serious accidents that have hit trees," said Jones. "Cars here on Humboldt on the weekends get hit constantly."

Jones heard the impact early Tuesday. He and his husband rushed to try to help the people inside the SUV. He said it was one of the worst crashes he has seen in the area.

Milwaukee crash, 26th and Center

Milwaukee crash, 26th and Center

"My husband came out with a hammer in his hand because he owns an auto body shop," said Jones. "The guy on the passenger side was not looking good at all."

He noted the construction in the area and the fact that police believe the driver may have been speeding.

"They shouldn’t even have been on this side of the road to begin with and going that fast," said Jones. "Slow down. We see it all the time, racing down Humboldt, racing down our alleys. Is that two minutes really going to get you home any sooner, or is that going to make a difference? Just slow down. Just slow down."

Milwaukee crash, 26th and Center

Milwaukee crash, 26th and Center

Milwaukee crash, 26th and Center

Jones said there could have easily been more people injured as a result of the crash.

"They flew across the road for goodness sakes," said Jones. "A car could have been coming north, so it could have been much worse. Thankfully, it wasn’t. You don’t wake up in the morning and think you are going to have an accident in front of their house that possibly could have killed somebody."