Dad dies in car crash as 1-year-old is alone in smoke-filled home, Wisconsin police say
.png "A 22-year-old man died after a car crash, then his 1-year-old child was found alone in a smoke-filled home, police said.")
A 1-year-old was found alone inside a smoke-filled home in Wisconsin after the toddler’s father died in a car crash, authorities said.
Around 10:30 p.m. Jan. 4, police were called to a report of a car crash in Neenah, a Facebook post by the police department said.
A vehicle hit a tree and was on fire, according to police.
Justin Hartjes, 22, was inside the vehicle unconscious when first responders pulled him out, police said.
“I was not prepared for what I saw,” eyewitness Christopher Green told WGBA. “It’s something I’ll never get out of my mind. I’m with this young man, standing there totally helpless.”
Hartjes was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Initially, officers thought Hartjes had a child in the vehicle with him, but they couldn’t find the child, WBAY reported. That’s when officials went to his home.
When police arrived, they found Hartjes’ 1-year-old baby alone inside the residence, which was filled with smoke, police said.
The oven was on, and there was food inside burning, according to officials.
The toddler was not hurt, police said, and it’s unclear how long the child was left alone.
Neenah is about a 40-mile drive southwest of Green Bay.
This story was originally published January 7, 2025 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Dad dies in car crash as 1-year-old is alone in smoke-filled home, Wisconsin police say."
