Investigators find no sign that semi driver took action to avoid fatal I-43 crash

A week after a fatal I-43 semi truck crash in the Town of Belgium, it remains unclear why the driver of a northbound truck left the freeway, drove through the median and collided head-on with a southbound semi in a fiery crash that killed both drivers, according to the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office.

Capt. Marshall Hermann, however, said this week that investigators have found no indication the driver of the northbound semi attempted to slow down or avoid the accident, which happened at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, just south of Sandy Beach Road.

Killed in the crash were 50-year-old Milton Christensen of Suring, who was driving the northbound semi, and Richard Wysocki, 69 of Wausaukee, who was driving the southbound truck.

Christensen’s semi trailer was empty at the time. Wysocki was hauling corn and cabbage, Hermann said.

Fourteen agencies responded to the crash, which closed the northbound lanes of I-43 for about four hours and the southbound lanes for nearly seven hours.

The crash remains under investigation pending the results of an accident reconstruction.