Two back-to-back semi crashes in Racine close down I94 for several hours

RACINE, Wis. (WFRV) -- Two intense car crashes plagued I-94 northbound in Racine this morning, both within several miles and hours of each other, according to a Facebook post from the Racine County Sheriff's Office. The first car crash took place shortly after 4:30 a.m., at Mile Marker 329. A Sprinter van was driving at low speeds along the shoulder/partially in the right lane on the interstate when a semi-tractor-trailer hit it from behind. The impact caused the semi to fly across all the northbound lanes, crash into the center median barrier, overturn, and come to a rest on the barrier, with its trailer extending over to the southbound side of the highway, completely blocking off every lane. The semi caught fire while leaking a large amount of diesel fuel. An SUV was also caught up in the chain reaction caused by the crash. Despite the intensity of the crash, all involved walked away with minor injuries. Three hours later, at Mile Mark 336.9, barely 8 miles from the earlier crash, a semi-tractor-trailer rear-ended another semi-tractor-trailer. A box truck also became involved in the chain reaction from the crash. One of the semis also caught fire during the incident. Luckily, only one individual was transported to the hospital for minor injuries. Due to the diligent work of emergency responders, tow operators, and highway maintenance crews, they were able to remove damaged vehicles, extinguish the fires, address the diesel fuel leak. They cleared both traffic scenes within several hours and reopened I-94 shortly after 10:00 a.m. "These crashes could have easily resulted in a tragedy, and I am extremely grateful that everyone involved suffered only minor injuries," said Sheriff Shcmaling. "I want to thank our deputies and all the other first responders whose coordinated efforts allowed the fires to be extinguished, the roadway to be cleared, and I94 to be safely reopened as quickly as possible." No other information was released at this time, especially regarding the potential reasons why semi-tractor-trailers were involved in both crashes. WFRV will update this story as necessary.