Wisconsin's Oct. 11, 2002 Fog Induced Horrific Fiery Crash On Southbound I-43 Near Cedar Grove claims the lives of at least 12 and injures over 40 in 30+ vehicle crash!

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Horrible sight as over 30 vehicles burn in Friday's Early Morning Crash On Southbound I-43 near the 111 mile marker of Sheboygan County near Cedar Grove, Wi.

As you look at these photo's please keep in mind that everywhere you see a blue tarp is bodies yet to be pulled from the traggic scene.

Rescue Personnel rest near the charred remains of a semi-tractor and several vehicles in the southbound lane of Interstate 43 Near Cedar Grove Wisconsin Friday Oct. 11, 2002. At least 12 people were killed in the fiery chain-reaction pile-up on the fog-shrouded southbound lane of I-43 around 7:30 a.m. this morning.

"A Horrific Sight" Sheriff calls it the worst accident she's ever seen! "The bodies I saw were burned beyond recognition. In most cases, DNA may be the only way to identify the victims." Sheriff Loni Koenig     A series of fiery crashes on Interstate 43 involving over thirty vehicles claimed at least twelve fatalities and injured at least 34 more this morning, police and paramedics at the scene reported.     But police on the scene said they may not even locate all of the victims today among the carnage. Some of the vehicles on the bottom are reduced to ash no way to identify vehicles or how many victims were in them.     "The bodies I saw were burned beyond recognition," said Sheboygan Sheriff Loni Koeing. "In some cases, DMA may be the only way to identify the victims."     At least twelve died, and none of the fatalities had been removed from the scene as of late this morning.     "It's a HORRIFIC site as you will see from posted photo's.     Seven of the injured were in critical condition, one was in moderate condition and 26 were considered "walking wounded," a paramedic said. The crash occurred in dense fog in the southbound lane of I-43 at about 7:30 a.m. near the Sheboygan-Ozaukee county line near Cedar Grove. At least eight vehicles, including several trucks, were burned beyond recognition. Patchy fog during the morning rush hour shortly after sunrise reduced visibility at times from a quarter-mile to near zero. "Visibility was next to nothing for the officers" arriving on the scene this morning, Wisconsin State Patrol spokesman Sgt. John Jones said during a press conference this morning. Jones said the accident may have begun with one two-car crash whose drivers then slowed to pull over, causing cars behind to brake and begin a series of chain-reaction collisions. "We actually had four separate crash sites here," Jones said. Vehicles traveling too fast for the foggy conditions caused the crashes, he said. Jones compared the accident scene to an archeological site, and said some victims may never be located. "There are vehicles on top of vehicles, there are vehicles under semi units," Jones said. Kevin Fetterer of Sheboygan witnessed the crash and told radio station WHBL in Sheboygan that the crash lasted four to five minutes as cars and trucks kept crashing into each other. "I heard popping noises, which I assumed were gas tanks exploding," he said. He said when the fog lifted a few minutes later, he saw flames shooting 20 to 30 feet in the air and saw vehicles piled up some on their sides and roofs for at least a half-mile down the highway. Fetterer said he avoided the getting involved in the crash by swerving into the grassy median. Steve Spielvogel of Spielvogel Excavating said a truck driver for the company was involved in the accident. Spielvogel said Rodney Velier of Sheboygan called the company headquarters just after the accident. "He said it was extremely foggy and cars just piled up on top of each other all around him," Spielvogel said. The northbound lane of I-43 also was closed this morning after multiple-car collisions police attributed to "gapers" watching the southbound crash. Firefighters and rescue workers continued to work to tally the dead late into the morning. Twenty-five officers from the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department and 15 state troopers responded to the scene, along with 10 ambulances and multiple fire departments. Authorities said 17 people were taken to St. Nicholas Hospital and one was later taken by medical helicopter to Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in Wauwatosa. Five were sent to Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center and authorities said two were in critical condition. Two more victims were sent to Valley View Medical Center in Plymouth. At least two people were taken to St. Mary's Ozaukee Hospital in Port Washington and later flighted to Froedtert. Family members looking for information on the injured can call victim assistance phone numbers at Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center, 451-5066; and St. Nicholas Hospital, 459-8300. Southbound motorists were being advised to get off I-43 at County Highway XX just north of the Sheboygan-Manitowoc county line and northbound motorists were told to use state Highway 57 at Port Washington. By: Reporter for WWWNP Teresa "WolfPoet" Gates

FIREFIGHTERS SPRAY the charred wreckage following a multiple-vehicle pile-up in the southbound lane of Interstate 43 near Cedar Grove.

RESCUE PERSONNEL work in the charred remains of a semi-tractor trailer in the southbound lane.

If you look closely at the above photo you will see the grill of a charred 18 wheeler and see the stack sticking up on left of photo. RESCUE WORKERS survey the scene this morning after a series of fiery crashes on southbound lanes forced them to close Interstate 43 near Cedar Grove.

Posted Oct. 11, 2002 Breaking news: Trucker warned oncoming drivers CEDAR GROVE  A boom bucket from a Cablevision service truck that flew at his truck was the first warning that Fresh Brands semi-driver Larry Freitag had of a major accident right in front of him Friday morning on I-43. That warning enabled him to avoid becoming involved in the largest multiple-vehicle accident in the county's history. It also enabled him to help prevent other cars from becoming involved in the crash that eventually involved more than a dozen cars, killed at least five people and injured at least 34 people. "It was a complete white-out. I couldn't see the front of my hood," said Freitag, who had just pulled onto the interstate after an early morning delivery to the Cedar Grove Piggly Wiggly store. "I was following a Cablevision truck when all of a sudden he disappeared," Freitag continued. "The next thing I know, his bucket was coming at my windshield." Freitag was able to pull off along the right shoulder safely, as did several other semis. "I got out of my truck and all I could hear was crunch, crunch, crunch," Freitag said. "I ran up (to the accident scene) because it wasn't burning." Ken Gabrielse of Sheboygan, a state Department of Transportation employee on his way to Milwaukee, also said there was no fire immediately after the accident. "I backed some vehicles up so no one else would get involved." "Two other truck drivers were getting people out," Freitag said. "A couple of guys on the hill were yelling for help. All kinds of people were willing to help. We were dragging people out before it got too hot," after the fire began. "I saw 10 people," on the hill. He said the fire, once it began, was billowing and booming. "I was 50 feet away and it was just cooking." Freitag said his concern was to back up his truck, which he had just filled with diesel fuel. "I had time to move four cars and six trucks back before I heard the first sirens," of emergency vehicles. He said ambulances were the first emergency vehicles on the scene, followed by law enforcement and fire vehicles. "Everything burned that I could see," Freitag said. Describing the conditions at the time of the accident, he termed it the worst white-out he had seen in 35 years of driving on I-43. "If the boom hadn't gone up over me, I would have been in it. He's right in it, and I would have been the next one." Friday's heroics weren't the first for Freitag. Nearly 10 years ago, Freitag rescued a 17-year-old boy from a burning car. On Dec. 5, 1992, Freitag was driving for Schultz Sav-O, the predecessor of Fresh Brands, when he came upon the accident and used a fire extinguisher from his truck to put out the flames and then pulled the boy from the car. Freitag was cited by the Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department with its Citizen Award for his heroism.

Jan Armstrong above tells what it was like being in the crash. She is one of the few who escaped without being badly hurt. She was in one of the first vehicles that crashed that started the chain reaction. She stated she was scared to even get out of her car as she kept hearing more and more hitting behind her.

This woman looks on grimly as she searches the tangled mess for her 37 year old missing Son's car. He was on his way to work and as of yet hasn't been found. I hate to say the possibilities of finding him grow dimmer by the moment.

In the 2 photo's above you can see them placing the blue tarps over bodies inside of the vehicles.

Here you see the Huge Yellow & Orange Tarps that they raise each time they remove a body from the wreckage. To hide the awfull sight from those looking on.

Below I will just add random photo's from the crash site.

Rescue Workers search the area for victims!

Would have been a beautiful Wisconsin Fall Day with colors in the background if not for this tragedy that added a sadness to the 70 degree day.

Officer reporting to news crews and a collage of the news reporters!

Blood Bank in bad need of O positive & O negative blood!

PLEASE remember to keep the victims and their families in your prayers. It was a sad day indeed here in Wisconsin! This was the worst wreck in Wisconsin History to Date! Please be sure to sign the guest book for the victims and their families that they might see thatthey are in your thoughts! Many Thanks! Teresa "WolfPoet" Gates