SUNDAY UPDATE: Milwaukee County Sheriff's Deputy Tim Johnson's family issued the following statement:
"Tim is still in extremely critical condition. We wish to thank everyone for all of the support and prayers. We ask that you continue to keep Tim and the entire family in your prayers. An account has been set up at M & I Bank. Donations are appreciated and can be sent to any M & I Bank branch c/o Deputy Tim Johnson Family Fund."

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee County Sheriff's deputy investigating a three-vehicle crash in the Stadium Interchange suffered serious head injuries Friday during morning rush hour.

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Watch uncut footage from the press conference.

Watch raw footage from the scene.
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Deputy Tim Johnson, 29, was standing outside his squad at the accident scene when a fourth car with a female driver, 25, "spun out of control" according to one police official.

She lost control of her Chevy Cobalt trying to avoid a rear-end collision, according to Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. Her car struck the deputy and his head struck the median wall. He flew 35-40 feet through the air according to reports.

At a press conference Friday, Sheriff Clarke said this is the third officer hit in traffic stops in the first 12 days of 2007.

He said Johnson has severe brain swelling and called his condition "very, very critical."

Johnson has served with the sheriff's department for four years and is the father of two young children.

Though the accident occurred at 6:21 a.m., a fire truck did not arrive until 6:32 a.m. and an ambulance did not arrive until 6:40 a.m.

Paramedics rushed the deputy to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa.

The seven-months-pregnant driver of the car that hit the deputy did not suffer any serious injuries. She was taken in a hospital to be checked out as a precaution.

The accident happened on eastbound I-94 just at the ramp to go north on Highway 41. The ramp was closed for about three hours.

The Sheriff's Department has requested help from the Milwaukee Police Department in investigating the crash.


DELAYED RESPONSE

The Milwaukee Fire Department has launched an internal investigation into why it took nearly 20 minutes to get a paramedic ambulance to Deputy Johnson. Here's the timeline:

Sheriff Clarke says the accident happened at 6:21 Friday morning.

The Milwaukee Fire Department says it got the call at 6:24 and at 6:25 dispatched a fire engine to check it.

Our tower camera at Miller Park shows the engine showed up at 6:31, ten minutes after the accident.

A fire department spokesman says the firemen radioed back for an ambulance which was dispatched 6:32.

Our camera shows the ambulance didn't arrive until 6:40, nearly 20 minutes after Deputy Johnson was hit by the car.

Another question for the fire department; why didn't it dispatch an ambulance immediately?

The sheriff's spokesperson says Clarke wants see what the fire department's investigation turns up before he comments on the delayed response.