Six hurt when slowdown in traffic, sun glare contributed to multiple wrecks on I-41: "Just chaos"
MENOMONEE FALLS -- Menomonee Falls police responded to several traffic crashes on southbound Interstate 41 near Pilgrim Road and Main Street Tuesday morning, February 9th. Officials believe a slowdown in traffic and sun glare, including the glare off wet pavement, may have been contributing factors in those wrecks.
"It was just totally chaos," Jeff Roskopf with Menomonee Falls-based Roskopf Service and Towing said.
Crashes on southbound Interstate 41 near Pilgrim Road and Main Street
The MFPD partnered with the Menomonee Falls Fire Department, Germantown Fire Department, City of Brookfield Fire Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol in investigating this incident and transporting injured parties.
The scene was cleared around 9:45 a.m.
The initial assessment was that nine separate traffic crashes resulted in 25 damaged vehicles and six injured persons.
Crashes on southbound Interstate 41 near Pilgrim Road and Main Street
The injured were taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
Police were initially called out to the scene around 8:00 a.m.
"Just the other day, we were joking around that 'oh we haven't had the morning rush' you know? It's always one morning, sometime. Well, here it is!" Roskopf said of the scene Tuesday morning.
Crashes on southbound Interstate 41 near Pilgrim Road and Main Street
"We have issues -- multiple issues that happen every year and you get a little snow and the reflection and the salt on the road," Homer Schultz with Homer's Towing and Service said.
Crashes on southbound Interstate 41 near Pilgrim Road and Main Street
Schultz and others suggest drivers simply slow down.
"They have the glare, they slide, they can't see the ice and they can't see the vehicle in front of them and then all of a sudden, the vehicle is there, and they're going 'shoot!'" Schultz said.
Police encourage drivers to increase their stopping distance -- explaining that if they're unable to avoid a crash completely, they can still reduce the severity of the crash.