Racine neighbors say there would be a car crash and a house fire

A car crash, a house burns and a man has been arrested – but neighbors on S. Memorial Drive in Racine weren't surprised by the news

Joellyn Rose lives across the street from where the incident occurred, and she told TMJ4's Tahleel Mohieldin that Thursday night wasn't the first time reckless driving damaged the neighborhood.

“That’s definitely going to happen,” Rose said. “It's bad that accidents happen all the time. People just drive way too fast on this route.”

Rose and other neighbors in the area said they have seen too many properties, street signs and other cars hit when drivers ignore stop signs, no turn signals or speeding.

In fact, neighbor Linda Jaskulske said the home on S. Memorial near 16th St., which caught fire Thursday after being hit by a car, had already been hit at least twice.

Watch: Racine neighbors say car crash and house fire 'bound to happen.'

Racine neighbors say there would be a car crash and a house fire

“I can’t let my grandchildren — we don’t let them play in the front yard a lot,” Jaskulske said. “If someone goes through too fast and loses control of their car, they are at risk.”

Wisconsin Department of Transportation data shows more than two dozen crashes have been reported in the region since 2021, and Rose fears Thursday's crash won't be the last.

“We called the police and they said they were short-staffed. That there’s nothing they can do,” Rose said. “We called the city council and never called them back.”

TMJ4 News reached out to the Racine City Council and Police Department to learn more about what actions are being taken to address these concerns.

In the meantime, neighbors like Rose are taking their own precautions. Some are even considering changing their address.

“I don’t go to the memorial at all,” Rose explained. “I’ll take the long way to Washington.”

Racine police have arrested the 31-year-old driver involved in Thursday night's incident for recklessly endangering safety.

The House on Memorial Dr. was empty, so no one was injured in this incident. RPD said speed was a factor in the crash.

Witnesses or citizens with information are urged to call the Racine Police Department's Investigations Unit at (262) 635-7756.

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers by phone at (262) 636-9330 or through the Crime Stoppers app using the P3 tips.

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