Milwaukee County highway workers hit on I-94 ramp

MILWAUKEE - Two Milwaukee County highway workers were hit by a car while on the job early Tuesday morning, Jan. 30.

It happened on an on-ramp to I-94 at College Avenue. Officials said both workers are recovering at home, and investigators said the driver who hit them had fallen asleep behind the wheel.

The wife of one of those workers said her husband was talking and cracking jokes as his normal self after being released from the hospital. After learning what happened, she wants the driver at fault to be criminally charged.

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"My husband called me at 3:10 and said he got hit by a car," said Lisa Hammer.

According to the sheriff's office, the workers were on the job when the driver of a Toyota Corolla fell asleep and drifted over – striking the workers, who were fixing a guard rail. Officials said that driver admitted he was using cruise control and fell asleep on his way to work.

Highway workers struck at on-ramp to I-94 at College Avenue, Milwaukee

"The highway trucks were well-lit, they had their lights on," said MCSO Sgt. Andrew Bilda. 

Lisa Hammer said she fears this could every time her husband leaves for work – and is begging drivers to slow down.

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"Being a highway repair person, you never know," she said. "There’s so many people speeding and road rage, and it’s very nerve-wracking to be a wife of a husband who does that for a living."

In addition to the two workers, the at-fault driver was also taken to a hospital. The sheriff's office said he was cited for inattentive driving, and it's not clear if he will face criminal charges.