A 22-year-old driver died early Saturday after running a red light and slamming into another vehicle near 20th and Locust Streets in Milwaukee, according to police. Two other people, including a passenger in the striking vehicle and the driver of the car that was hit, were also injured in the crash.
Milwaukee police say the crash happened around 2:15 a.m. when the 22-year-old driver ran a red light and struck a vehicle traveling westbound, according to TMJ4 News. The 22-year-old was pronounced dead at the hospital. A 23-year-old passenger in that vehicle was not seriously injured, while the 25-year-old driver of the struck vehicle was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Milwaukee police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to come forward, and can be reached at 414-935-7360. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Milwaukee Area Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or via the P3 Tips app, which offers cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest, according to the Milwaukee Police Department.
A Corridor Already Flagged for Danger
A stretch of Locust Street sits on the City of Milwaukee's High Injury Network — the roughly 10% of city streets where 58% of the city's severe crashes occur, according to MilWALKee Walks. The network identifies streets where severe crashes are concentrated.
Just four blocks east, the intersection of Teutonia Avenue and Locust Street ranks as the fourth-worst crash intersection for injuries in Milwaukee, per Wisconsin Department of Transportation crash analysis reported by FOX6 Milwaukee. Traffic-calming measures, including curb bump-outs, are discussed in local coverage. The article also includes a link to planned paving and calming work.
Fatalities Down, but Red-Light Running Persists
Traffic safety remains a concern in Milwaukee and Milwaukee County.
Milwaukee has pursued traffic-safety measures, including street design changes. Even as overall numbers trend downward, traffic safety remains a concern on corridors like Locust Street.
What Wisconsin Law Says About Red-Light Fatalities
Under Wisconsin Assembly Bill 55, enacted in May 2023, state penalties for reckless driving doubled, raising maximum first-offense forfeitures to $400, repeat-offense fines to $1,000, and sentences for reckless driving causing injury up to two years in prison, according to Wisconsin Watch. Separately, Wisconsin law addresses criminal negligence in fatal crashes. Vehicle impoundment is also addressed in discussions of serious driving violations.
No charges have been announced in connection with Saturday's crash, and it remains under investigation. Police continue to seek witnesses who may have seen the collision at 20th and Locust.
