I-94 crashes, fires at Kenosha-Racine county line; 2 on same day

KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. - A five-vehicle crash and fire shut down I-94 southbound in Kenosha County for hours on Friday. And minutes after it was cleared, a different fire in the same area prompted backups again.

Kenosha County crash, fire

The original crash and fire happened in Somers, just south of County Highway KR, around 3 p.m. Viewer video and pictures showed what a semi-trailer engulfed in flames in the southbound lanes.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

According to the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department, the crash involved two semis and three passenger vehicles. Two people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Traffic was initially shut down in both directions. While the northbound lanes reopened around 6 p.m., southbound traffic remained closed. The backups lasted hours and stretched for miles into Racine County. Drivers were diverted onto frontage roads, where the gridlock continued.

"My daughter is waiting at the airport, and we are going to pick her up," said Sahana. "We have been stopped for about two-and-a-half, three hours now."

The southbound lanes were cleared around 9:05 p.m. – but the delays did not stop there. 

Photo gallery

Racine County fire

Southbound lanes were cleared around 9:05 p.m. – but backups began again minutes later. 

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, a car fire was reported in the same area around 9:10 p.m. It blocked the left shoulder of I-94 southbound in Racine County, just north of CTH-KR.

The Racine County Sheriff's Office said a man experienced a medical event, leading to a crash. There was no sign of impairment, and no one required medical transport. The man's vehicle caught fire and was a total loss.

Backups after second crash, vehicle fire on I-94 near County Highway KR