Fatal Vehicle Fire on Highway 51 Claims One Life

MADISON, Wis. — A person died in a vehicle fire on the frontage road of southbound Highway 51 at Buckeye Road on Monday morning. The incident occurred when a vehicle crashed into a tree, resulting in the fire. Firefighters arrived at the scene at 11:43 a.m. and extricated the individual, who was pronounced dead at the site, according to the Madison Fire Department.

The Madison Police Department is investigating this crash. The victim’s identity has not yet been released, and the cause of the fire remains unclear.

Due to the crash, all northbound lanes on U.S. Highway 51 were closed and reopened around 3:23 p.m., as stated by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Lauren Brinkman, who works with Underdog Pet Rescue, witnessed the traffic backlog due to the incident. She noted, ‘I think it was probably around 2 that we started realizing the impact and how bad and backed up it is.’ This incident is not believed to be related to another crash that occurred simultaneously on the Madison Beltline at Todd Drive.

Investigators from the Madison Police Department and the Dane County Sheriff's Department are responding to both incidents.