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Family recovering after I-41 crash in Washington County
A Dodge County family is recovering after a crash left their car pinned between semi-trucks on I-41 in Washington County. The couple and their 3-year-old daughter spent days in the hospital.
MILWAUKEE - A Dodge County family is recovering after a crash left their car pinned between semi-trucks on I-41 in Washington County. The couple and their 3-year-old daughter spent days in the hospital.
Multi-vehicle crash
What we know:
Loved ones tell FOX6 News it is a miracle they are all alive. This is their car, sandwiched upright between the trucks. They are all out of the hospital, but nowhere near 100%.
"It was a very traumatizing experience for all of them," said Alex Thill, the victim's brother. "When you see the photos – you can understand why – the extent of the injuries are very severe."
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One week ago, Thill and his dad went searching for his sister, brother-in-law and niece after a phone app sent an alert about a crash on I-41.
"We were traumatized to the point neither of us were consolable," Thill said.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office explains first responders were investigating a fatal motorcycle crash on the highway when a pile-up happened just before 7 a.m. on the same stretch south of Scenic Drive in the town of Polk last Monday. Law enforcement says witnesses told them a semi slammed into vehicles that were slowing down. That is when Thill's sister Savannah, her husband Christian and daughter Evelyn got pinned between trucks.
"My sister has lost all independence," Thill said.
Washington County I-41 crashes; motorcycle, 2 semis, 4 vehicles involved
A motorcyclist is dead and six others, including an infant, were hospitalized following two crashes on I-41 in Washington County on Monday, Aug. 17.
Road to recovery
What we know:
The couple was rushed to the hospital, and their child was airlifted. They suffered broken bones, cuts and bruising.
"My sister will not walk for almost a year, possibly even more," Thill said.
Aside from the physical injuries, the incident is opening old wounds. Thill's older brother died in a wreck on the same stretch in 2014.
"Shock," Thill said. "I was almost in shock for a couple of days."
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As this family recovers, they are counting their blessings that they all survived.
"I’m so grateful," Thill said. "I am so grateful."
GoFundMe campaign started
What you can do:
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for expenses. Two others were injured in the crash.
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The State Patrol and the Washington County Sheriff's Office are investigating.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Ashley Sear and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Alex Thill and the Washington County Sheriff's Office.