Fatal car crashes in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
From 2020 through 2024, 396 people died in 356 crashes on streets and highways inside Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
That is 14.1 deaths a year for every 100,000 residents, above the Wisconsin rate of 10.1 and above the US rate of 12.1.
SR-145 (W Fond Du Lac Ave) had more fatal crashes than any other road here: 27, killing 31.
Hit-and-runs made up 24% of fatal crashes here, against 6% statewide.
In 2024, 73 people were killed, 16% fewer than in 2020 (87).
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2024 · population: Census 2024 estimate, 563,531 · checked October 2, 2026
people killed in crashes, 2020-2024 (356 crashes)
deaths a year per 100,000 residents (Wisconsin 10.1, US 12.1)
pedestrians killed, 23% of all deaths here
of fatal crashes involved a driver police reported as drinking
Where the fatal crashes happened
Each dot is one crash that killed at least one person, placed at the coordinates in the police report. The outline is Milwaukee County; the dots are crashes inside Milwaukee city limits.
The deadliest roads in Milwaukee
SR-145 (W Fond Du Lac Ave) leads with 27 fatal crashes in five years. Roads are counted by the name in the crash report; a highway's frontage roads and ramps count toward it.
| # | Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SR-145 W Fond Du Lac Ave | 27 | 31 |
| 2 | SR-190 W Capitol Dr | 17 | 19 |
| 3 | N 35Th St | 15 | 15 |
| 4 | SR-57 N 20Th St | 12 | 13 |
| 5 | N Teutonia Ave | 11 | 12 |
| 6 | SR-175 W Appleton Ave | 11 | 11 |
| 7 | I-43 | 10 | 14 |
| 8 | N Sherman Blvd | 10 | 12 |
| 9 | SR-181 N 76Th St | 10 | 11 |
| 10 | N 27Th St | 9 | 12 |
Deaths by year
When crashes turn deadly
63% of fatal crashes here happened in the dark. The single deadliest hour was 8 pm to 9 pm.
Sunday had the most fatal crashes (73), and 37% fell on a Saturday or Sunday.
By month, October was the worst (42 crashes across the five years).
What was involved
Shares of fatal crashes (or of deaths) in Milwaukee, next to Wisconsin and the US. Red marks a share at least a quarter higher than the state's.
| Factor | Milwaukee | Share | Wisconsin | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding was a factor a driver coded by police as speeding, racing or too fast for conditions | 163 | 46% | 31% | 28% |
| A driver had been drinking police reported alcohol involvement for at least one driver | 60 | 17% | 32% | 26% |
| A large truck was involved a truck over 10,000 lbs | 11 | 3% | 13% | 13% |
| Hit-and-run a driver left the scene | 86 | 24% | 6% | 7% |
| Pedestrians killed share of all deaths | 92 | 23% | 10% | 18% |
| Motorcyclists killed share of all deaths | 41 | 10% | 18% | 15% |
| Bicyclists killed share of all deaths | 12 | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Teens (15-19) killed share of all deaths | 33 | 8% | 7% | 7% |
After a crash in Milwaukee
Crash reports here: how to get one from the Milwaukee Police Department.
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Get the crash report
Police departments and sheriffs also release their own reports: for example the Washington County Sheriff's Office offers motor vehicle accident reports through Crashdocs.org for a flat $2.00 fee, using the report number, last name and date from the handout given at the crash.
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Know your deadline
Wisconsin gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Wis. Stat. § 893.54(1m)(a)). If a city, county or state vehicle was involved: Written notice of the circumstances of the claim must be served on the governmental body within 120 days after the event (or actual notice plus no prejudice to the body); a claim for damages must then be presented and disallowed before suit.
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Who pays
Wisconsin is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
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If you were partly at fault
In a crash with one other at-fault driver, you can recover if your negligence was not greater than theirs (50% or less), reduced by your share; above 50% you recover nothing from them. With several at-fault parties, your fault is compared with each one separately.
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The other driver’s minimum coverage
The legal minimum liability coverage in Wisconsin is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $10,000 for property (25/50/10).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Wisconsin. Both take under a minute.
County around Milwaukee
| County | Deaths 2020-24 | Per 100K a year | Pedestrians | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee County | 478 | 10.3 | 106 | 924,740 |
About these numbers
FARS counts every crash on a public road in which someone died within 30 days. It leaves out the far larger number of crashes that only injured people. Places are as coded in the report: a crash on a county road just outside city limits counts for the county, not the city. Rates use the Census 2024 population estimate and the five-year average.