Updated at 4:19 p.m. (CT)
A county coroner official says two people are dead after a semi crashed on Interstate 94 Wednesday, exploding and setting fire to other vehicles. The interstate has been closed since.
I-94 may be closed past rush hour — 7 p.m., 8 p.m. — says Scott Stiff, a spokesman for the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department. Although the incident happened in Racine County, his department is serving a supporting role.
#BREAKING I’ve confirmed there are now two dead in the multi-vehicle crash involving several semis on I-94 in #Racine County. The freeway remains shut down between Highway 20 and Ryan Road. #WISN12 pic.twitter.com/LDoykwISJN
— Nick Bohr (@NickBohrWISN) June 19, 2019
Scott Kozlik, of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, wrote in an email: "with the incident overlapping into the PM rush period, delays on the alternate routes will start to grow with the increased congestion. Please plan for extra travel time and drive safe."
UPDATE: Crews are on site cleaning up the area. Motorists are still being directed to use alternate routes around the closure.
— WisDOT Southeast Region (@WisDOTsoutheast) June 19, 2019
A WTMJ-TV photographer who witnessed the crash says the semi jumped the median on I-94 about 11 a.m. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the accident happened near Mount Pleasant, about 24 miles south of Milwaukee.
The Racine County medical examiner says two people died, and the sheriff is reporting several injuries but has not provided details.
Authorities are investigating the incident.
