MILWAUKEE, WI — A vehicle slammed into a Firestone Complete Auto Care shop on Milwaukee’s northwest side early Wednesday morning, leaving the car inside the brick building and sending skid marks across the sidewalk and roadway. Police said the driver lost control before the crash.
The impact happened around 4 a.m. at Midtown Center on North 60th Street near West Capitol Drive. Milwaukee police said the business was closed at the time, and no injuries were reported.
Crash happened around 4 a.m. at Midtown Center
The collision took place at the Midtown Center shopping area, a busy commercial stretch near North 60th Street and West Capitol Drive. The building struck was a Firestone Complete Auto Care location on Milwaukee’s northwest side.
Police said the vehicle left the roadway, crossed the sidewalk and hit the building. Video from the 12 News helicopter showed the car lodged inside the structure after the crash.
The business was not open when the vehicle hit the building, which likely limited the immediate danger to customers and staff. Officers did not report any injuries at the scene.
Police say the driver lost control before striking the building
Milwaukee police said the driver lost control of the vehicle before it crashed into the auto care shop. Authorities have not said what caused the loss of control, and that part of the investigation is still open.
The vehicle entered the building sideways, a detail that matched what helicopter video showed from overhead. The images also showed the car well inside the brick storefront rather than stopping at the exterior wall.
At this point, police have not identified any contributing factors such as speed, distraction or impairment. Those questions remain part of the investigation.
Skid marks show the path from street to storefront
Scene video showed skid marks tracing the vehicle’s path from the roadway to the sidewalk and into the building. That damage gave investigators a clear visual of how the crash unfolded in the final seconds before impact.
The marks indicate the vehicle left the street before striking the structure, suggesting the driver had little or no time to recover control. The crash also caused visible damage to the brick exterior.
Because the crash happened in the early morning hours, the area was likely quieter than it would be during business hours. Even so, the force was enough to put the vehicle deep into the building.
No injuries were reported after the collision
Police said no injuries were reported after the crash. That includes both the driver and anyone who may have been nearby when the vehicle went into the building.
The fact that the shop was closed likely kept the incident from becoming more serious. With no customers or employees inside, the crash did not appear to hurt anyone on site.
Even without injuries, the scene left a damaged storefront and a vehicle embedded in the business. Cleanup and repairs will likely depend on what investigators determine about the impact and the structural damage.
Cause of the Milwaukee crash remains under investigation
Milwaukee police said the cause of the crash remains under investigation. Officers have not released further details about the driver or whether citations were issued.
For now, the known facts are limited to the time, place and damage: a vehicle struck a closed Firestone shop around 4 a.m. at Midtown Center and ended up inside the building.
Investigators will likely focus on why the driver lost control and what led the vehicle off the roadway. Until that is sorted out, the crash remains a simple but serious storefront collision with questions still unanswered.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
