Updated: Man Dies After Car Crashes Into South Milwaukee Home, Catches Fire

Update: Check out coverage from TMJ4, WISN and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

There was a scary — and tragic — incident early Thursday morning near 9th and Edgewood, as a car crashed into a house and caught fire, killing the driver and setting the home on fire.

Everyone in the house got out safely.

Check out an updated press release from the South Milwaukee Police Department, noting that police “were not actively pursuing the vehicle at the time of the crash.” From it:

On Thursday 12/13/12 at about 0151hrs, an SMPD officer, while running stationary radar, observed a vehicle pass him at approximately 25mph over the posted speed limit. The vehicle failed to stop for both audible and visual signals and subsequently crashed.

The fleeing vehicle had accelerated to a point that the officer could no longer see the vehicle.  The officer was not actively pursuing the vehicle at the time of the crash.  After traveling approximately 11 blocks, the officer discovered a vehicle which had crashed in the 700 block of Edgewood.  This vehicle is believed to have been the fleeing vehicle.

The vehicle was on fire and the fire spread to a nearby house.  The residents of the house were safely evacuated.  SMPD is still working to identify the driver, and lone occupant, who was deceased.   The Wisconsin State Patrol assisted in the accident investigation.  Investigation is ongoing.  No further information is available at this time.

Here is coverage, including video, from Fox 6.

I’ll keep you posted if I learn more.