Milwaukee Police chief injured in crash shortly after leaving press conference on reckless driving

Minutes after leaving a press conference discussing reckless driving problems in the city Monday morning, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman was injured in a car crash when a dump truck struck his vehicle.

Norman was taken from the scene of the crash in an ambulance and appeared to be wearing a neck brace.

The crash occurred about three blocks from Milwaukee Police Department District 4 station shortly after 10 a.m. Monday. Witnesses at the scene said a dump truck failed to stop at an intersection and hit the vehicle the chief was in. A WPR reporter saw Norman sitting on the sidewalk moments after the crash.

A statement from the department said a 56-year-old officer was also involved in the crash. Norman, and that officer, were transported to a hospital for “non-life threatening injuries.”

The statement said the driver of the dump truck stayed on the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

“The circumstances that led to the collision are being investigated by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office,” the statement said.

Milwaukee Ald. Lamont Westmoreland, who was also at the press conference, said he’s unsure if the accident was reckless driving related. “It’s super frustrating, but again, we don’t know if this is reckless driving related,” Westmoreland said. “It just goes to show you that no one is exempt from anything out here on the streets.”

There was a large police presence in the area after the crash and several streets were blocked off.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson was also at the press conference before the crash Monday.

“I have reached out to Chief Norman to offer my wishes for a quick recovery. The traffic crash that injured the Chief was cruelly coincidental in that it took place immediately following our news conference on reckless driving,” Johnson said in a statement. “We did not need this type of reminder that all drivers need to slow down and increase caution on our roadways.”