Tragedy struck the Town of Port Washington early Monday morning when a wrong-way collision resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left two others with serious injuries, as detailed in a post from the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office. Per the Sheriff's Office's social media update, the deadly incident occurred on the I43 north of CTH H and the involved parties have now been identified; the late occupants of a 2017 Ford Escape were Nicole Horne, 51, and Jay Horne, 56, both from Oostburg, while the injured rear passenger, Alissa Horne, 22, also from Oostburg, remains hospitalized.
The errant vehicle, a 2025 Lexus driven by Ace Vue, 34, from Milwaukee, was reportedly traveling southbound in the northbound lanes when the collision happened, the Sheriff's Office received multiple 911 calls around 12:37 am regarding the vehicle and by 12:44 am the tragic head-on collision had occurred, Ace Vue is presently facing serious criminal charges which include 1st Degree Reckless Homicide and Reckless Driving Causing Great Bodily Harm, with the potential for additional charges as the investigation continues. The accident prompted the closure of northbound I43 for an estimated five hours for clean-up and in-depth investigation by various emergency and law enforcement teams.
As officials work to piece together the sequence of events, specifics about what led to Vue's vehicle traveling in the wrong direction have not yet been disclosed, the condition of both injured parties remains critical in hospital care with the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office noting that it is still unknown if alcohol or drugs were contributing factors in the crash. Local residents are no doubt reeling from this loss, and community support networks are likely to be activated in response to the Horne family's profound losses and Alissa's ongoing recovery. Law enforcement agencies continue their deep dive into the circumstances of this fatal encounter, while medical staff at Froedtert Hospital remain vigilant over the survivors.
The Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office extended their acknowledgement of the assistance provided on scene by multiple fire departments including Port Washington, Cedarburg, and Fredonia, as well as local police departments and emergency services that collaborated during the critical response phase, this collaborative effort speaks to the close-knit nature of the emergency response community in Ozaukee County and their joint dedication to serving in crises.
