November 1, 2023 – Washington County, WI – Due to a major highway closure on I41 near Holy Hill Road in the Village of Germantown from a previous traffic crash this morning, traffic on the surrounding roadways was heavier than normal and travel was compounded by icy road conditions.
At 7:11 a.m., the Washington County 911 Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a traffic crash involving two vehicles at the intersection of Pioneer Road and Mayfield Road on the border of the Town of Polk and the Village of Richfield.
The caller, a 34-year-old mother from the City of Hartford, reported she was involved in a collision with another vehicle. After the airbags were deployed, she was not able to open the doors to the car or roll the windows down due to the damage. She reported she was in the car with her children, ages 14, 5, and 7.
The first deputy, a 19-year veteran with the sheriff’s office, was near to the crash call. When he arrived the engine compartment on the car started on fire. The deputy attempted to extinguish the fire with the squad’s fire extinguisher, but the fire continued to spread. The deputy then used a window-breaking tool to break two of the windows.
The children were extricated through the back window and the mother was also able to exit. The driver of the other vehicle also helped during the extraction of the kids. The fire spread until extinguished by the Richfield Fire Department.
The investigation revealed that the other driver, a 50-year-old City of Hartford man, was westbound on Pioneer Rd in heavy traffic when he made an unsafe U-turn. The female driver was eastbound on Pioneer Rd and was unable to stop for the other vehicle in her lane of traffic when the collision occurred. The male diver was not hurt and will be cited for unsafe U-turn.
None of the children were hurt in the other car. The mother sustained minor scratches that may have resulted during the extrication. Investigators are looking into why the doors and windows were not operational after the crash.
