An investigation is underway following a dramatic incident on Milwaukee’s east side where a car theft led to a fiery multi-vehicle crash. The incident began when UW-Milwaukee police were alerted to a vehicle theft at the Cunningham Parking Lot at Cramer and Hartford around 11:15 a.m. Officers located the stolen vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the driver fled, striking a bicyclist on Oakland Avenue. Fortunately, the victim received aid from authorities and was reported as not injured.
The suspect vehicle continued to evade police, subsequently colliding with a car at Cramer and Linwood, occupied by one person. Following this impact, the stolen vehicle crashed into two parked cars, resulting in all vehicles catching fire. Thankfully, the individual in the struck car sustained no injuries. Witnesses in the area described hearing a loud “boom,” and residents reported seeing the suspects flee the scene on foot.
UWM police revealed that four suspects fled on foot, and as of Thursday afternoon, no one was reported in custody. The aftermath of the incident left residents, including college students in the area, shaken. Brandon Harbison, a junior at UW-Milwaukee, described waking up to the loud noise and witnessing the suspects running between houses.
Additionally, a sophomore named Josh Delfield shared his disbelief as he discovered that his roommate’s gray Toyota Camry was among the vehicles involved in the crash. Delfield noted the irony of receiving a university alert that very morning warning students of increased car thefts. The incident left affected individuals grappling with the financial and emotional toll of seeing their vehicles destroyed, highlighting the broader impact of such criminal activities on the community.