MILWAUKEE -- The northbound lanes of I-43 were closed for hours Sunday morning near the Marquette Interchange due to a crash involving a wrong-way driver.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) indicated in a news release that a 36-year-old Milwaukee man entered I-43 northbound from the Fond du Lac exit ramp -- and struck another vehicle head-on at I-43 northbound at Wells Street.
A 28-year-old woman from Illinois was driving a blue Ford Escort -- and was struck by the man's vehicle, the news release said. The woman was initially found to be pulseless and not breathing. She had to be extricated from her vehicle. The woman was taken to Froedtert Hospital with serious injuries including broken ribs, kidney hematoma, a fractured right arm, fractures of both legs and an injury to her right lung.
The woman's daughters, ages five and eight, were also in the car -- restrained in booster seats. The five-year-old girl suffered cuts as well as pelvic and internal injuries. The eight-year-old girl had a broken collarbone, cuts and internal injuries.
Officials say the 36-year-old man tested a .14 on the PBT. He did not have a valid driver’s license. The man was taken to a hospital for cuts and a fractured ankle. The MCSO news release says the Milwaukee man could not remember where he had been drinking, only that he was drinking Patrón.
Wrong-way wreck near Marquette Interchange
The 36-year-old man is now expected to face the following felony charges:
The man also received citations for DUI-1st offense and drive wrong way on divided highway.
The northbound freeway was shut down at the Marquette Interchange for approximately three hours for the crash investigation.