Fatal crash in downtown Milwaukee caused by driver going the wrong way on problematic ramp

A tragic incident occurred on October 26 on Milwaukee's freeway system, where a driver entered the wrong way and caused a fiery crash. The collision injured a pregnant woman, leading to the loss of her unborn baby. Footage from the Department of Transportation captured the driver entering the freeway system at Plankinton and St. Paul avenues, driving south in the northbound lanes on the High Rise Bridge. Despite a deputy spotting the driver, the vehicle had multiple close calls before colliding head-on with another car. The innocent woman's car caught fire, and body camera footage showed a deputy rescuing her from the wreck. While she survived, she tragically lost her pregnancy. Milwaukee Sheriff's Office Captain Charles Stowers expressed concern about the frequency of wrong-way incidents on the freeway system, with over 200 recorded. Unfortunately, some incidents are not caught in time. A man named Jorge Alvarez Mathuzima faces charges of intoxicated driving causing the death of an unborn child. This upsetting event occurred nine months after a similar incident where a drunk driver killed himself and two others after entering the freeway the wrong way from the same off-ramp. TAPCO, based in Brown Deer, has been collaborating with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for more than a decade on this issue, installing systems like flashing lights and advanced models to detect wrong-way drivers and prevent such incidents. Their technology includes thermal and radar systems to prompt wrong-way drivers to stop or turn around quickly. Despite warning signs, impaired driving seems to remain the root cause of these incidents. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is focused on installing more wrong-way detection systems while emphasizing the importance of responsible driving habits to prevent such tragedies.