Delayed chain-reaction crashes injure 6, snarl traffic on I-41

Two inattentive drivers caused separate but related crashes that shut down I-41 near Menomonee Falls and Germantown for two hours Friday morning and sent several people to hospitals, including a police officer.

The delayed chain reaction actually began with a third accident along the freeway before 9 a.m., details of which were not immediately available.

Responding to that incident, a Menomonee Falls police officer blocked off the left lanes of southbound I-41, south of County Line Road, with traffic cones and his parked patrol car, its lights flashing.

Shortly after 9 a.m., a woman plowed through the cones and struck the patrol car, with the officer inside.

Both she and the officer were taken to hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries. Southbound traffic then began to back up even more.

Miles north of the crash, between Lannon and Holy Hill roads, a truck crashed into the slowed or stopped traffic about 9:30 a.m.

Germantown police reported that six vehicles were involved, and four more people were taken to hospitals, again with non-life-threatening injuries.

The northbound lanes of I-41 were closed for about 40 minutes to allow two Flight for Life helicopters to land.

Both crashes remain under investigation by Germantown police, who indicated inattentive driving was a factor in the woman’s collision with the officer, and reckless driving and speeding contributed to the later crash involving the truck.