Driver Killed in 18-wheeler Accident on Florist Avenue in Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee, WI — August 7, 2024, a driver was killed following an 18-wheeler accident at around 3:30 a.m. along Florist Avenue.

Preliminary details about the accident say that the accident happened near the intersection of North 74th Street.

According to officials, the 32-year-old victim was driving a sedan westbound on Florist. Details suggest that an 18-wheeler was attempting a left turn from eastbound lanes into a business. While the truck was across westbound lanes, the car crashed into it. As a result of the collision, the car driver died. There were no other reported injuries.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

Currently, no charges or citations have been reported. Authorities have said only that they believe the car was “speeding.” To be clear, I don’t know if that’s true or not. But it concerns me that authorities don’t seem to consider that an 18-wheeler was turning across oncoming lanes when this happened. It reminds me of several cases I’ve handled where preliminary reports seem to only tell one side of the story, and it isn’t the side of the person who isn’t here to defend themselves.

For example, I handled a case not long ago where an 18-wheeler turned across a dark highway, and a car crashed into it. The family wanted us to look into things because it was said the victim was speeding and not wearing their seatbelt, yet they knew the victim to be a very safe driver. They wanted a second opinion. We had independent accident reconstructionists look into the details, and we questioned as many people as we could. Eventually, it became clear that authorities simply took the surviving truck driver at their word without considering the evidence that was right in front of them.

What actually happened was the victim wasn’t speeding at all. A reconstruction of the scene, the victim’s vehicle, witness statements, and even a frozen speedometer helped verify that. Additionally, numerous first responders testified they had to cut through the victim’s seatbelt just to get them out of the car, so obviously they were wearing one. And to drive the point home, an examination of the truck involved showed its reflective tape was so caked in dirt that it might as well have been invisible when the crash occurred. Thanks to those efforts, we set the record straight, and it was all but undeniable that the truck driver’s negligence caused the accident.

Again, I can’t say if that happened here. There isn’t nearly enough evidence for me or anyone in the general public to draw any concrete conclusions. However, I learned a long time ago that it’s a red flag when one vehicle is turning across oncoming traffic where there is no traffic light, and all authorities say is that the other driver was “speeding.” Maybe that did cause this crash. Or, maybe multiple parties made mistakes, and some of those mistakes were more serious than others. Or it could be that this is another example of early reports suggesting someone did something wrong when they didn’t, and they’re not here to speak on their own behalf. At the end of the day, if a grieving family can’t be certain they’re getting all the facts, it shouldn’t surprise anyone when they become unsatisfied with the official reports.