JANESVILLE — A vehicle was fishtailing as it hit speeds up to 100 miles an hour on Milton Avenue moments before it crashed early Monday, killing the driver, police officers on the scene say.
More information about the fatal crash on Janesville’s northeast side was released Monday night by the Janesville Police Department.
Janesville police said alcohol is believed to have played a role in the crash.
According to a police department release, an officer traveling south on North Parker Drive, approaching East Centerway Street, saw an eastbound Buick LeSabre sitting at the flashing red signal for a lengthy time.
The officer turned westbound onto East Centerway Street to get behind the vehicle.
Before the officer was able to come up behind the vehicle, the driver took off at a “very high rate of speed,” the release said.
The officer continued eastbound on East Centerway Street toward Milton Avenue at a normal speeds, and briefly saw the car as it turned northbound onto Milton Avenue.
The release notes that the officer did not use the squad car’s emergency light or siren at any point. When the officer reached Milton Avenue, the vehicle no longer could be seen.
Officers investigating a separate OWI incident at Refset Drive and Milton Avenue saw the vehicle headed northbound on Milton Avenue, going an estimated 100 mph. The officers saw the vehicle fishtailing as it continued to head north.
Other officers in the area continued onto Milton Avenue at normal speeds without their emergency lights or sirens, to see if the vehicle had crashed.
Two officers found the vehicle, which had crashed on Milton Avenue near the I-39/90 overpass.
The driver was the sole occupant and had been ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. The intersection was closed for about two hours while the crash was investigated.
