An alleged drunk driver rear-ended a disabled car on the median shoulder of Interstate 39/90 near Madison, killing three University of Minnesota students. Sergeant Eugene Wagner of the Wisconsin State Patrol tells WIBA in Madison that a car carrying five people was pulled over on the median shoulder at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday. Three of the occupants got out to change a flat tire, and were struck by a motorist identified as 31 year old Bradley Erickson of Madison. Wagner says “alcohol was a factor” in the crash and that the case has been referred to the DA’s office for charges. Erickson suffered non life threatening injuries.
University spokesman Ryan Maus tells the Star Tribune of Minneapolis that two of the students were cheerleaders with the university’s Spirit Squad. Maus says the students were driving home from the Twin Cities to Milwaukee when the crash happened. The three people who died were a 20-year-old female driver from Milwaukee, a 23-year-old male passenger from Puerto Rico and a 19-year-old male passenger from Milwaukee. The State Patrol is withholding the names of the victims pending notification of family.
WIBA
