Two Wauwatosa police officer-involved crashes; 4 hospitalized

Two separate car accidents involving Wauwatosa police officers took place on Sunday, Dec. 7. In the first incident, around 6 p.m., an officer was conducting a traffic stop on a vehicle without license plates when a ride-share car rear-ended the police vehicle, causing the ride-share car to tip over. The passengers in the ride-share car sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to the hospital, while the driver reported no injuries. The officer also emerged unharmed, but their squad car suffered significant damage. Later, at 6:55 p.m., officers responded to a single-vehicle crash at 121st and Bluemound, where a car collided with a light pole in the median. The driver was arrested for driving under the influence. During the investigation, as the officers were assisting the driver into the police vehicle, both the driver and an officer were struck by a passing vehicle. The driver complained of an ankle injury and was hospitalized, while the officer received evaluation at the hospital and was later released. Fortunately, none of the injuries were considered life-threatening. The driver of the passing vehicle, who was believed to be distracted, stayed at the scene and cooperated with authorities. Both accidents are currently being investigated.