A 27-year-old man is facing charges including one for operating a vehicle on a revoked license and another for hit-and-run resulting in a death, and a vehicular homicide one for his role in causing a fatal car crash.
The fatal crash happened near the intersection of W. Lincoln Ave. and 15th Street in downtown Milwaukee just after 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 4. The 43-year-old mom and her 11-year-old son had reportedly been traveling home from church when the crash occurred.
Law enforcement officials note that the parties involved in causing the crash may not have been caught had it not been for surveillance cameras in the area. They captured the crash as well as the driver of the truck opening up his door and exiting the vehicle as he fled the scene of the crash. Bystanders tried to stop the man, yet retreated once one he brandished a gun.
Even though they couldn’t stop him at the scene of the crash, they were able to describe him to police. Their descriptions also helped police identify another male and female who’d been riding in the truck when he crashed it.
Ultimately, the female passenger turned herself in to police. Investigators used Department of Transportation (DOT) records to identify the truck’s owner. When they spoke with her, she admitted that her brother had been driving her truck the morning of the fatal crash. Investigators later uncovered the fact that the hit-and-run driver’s license had been revoked since May. That’s when he was brought up on operating while intoxicated charges.
An investigation into the crash led officers to conclude that the pickup had been traveling at what they’ve coined as “freeway speeds” down snow-covered city streets immediately before the crash occurred. He ultimately lost control of the vehicle, swerved into oncoming traffic, crashing into the decedent’s Toyota Corolla.
Witnesses to the crash tried to aid the woman after the suspects ran off, but realized that her injuries were so significant that they couldn’t offer her much help. Emergency crews evacuated the woman to an area hospital where she rushed into surgery for internal bleeding, significant facial head trauma, broken femurs and detached limbs. She died on the operating table.
If you’ve lost a loved one at the hands of a reckless driver, then a Milwaukee attorney may advise you of your ability to recover medical and funeral costs and damages.
Source: Fox 6, “Prosecutors: Driver with revoked license tried to have truck reported as stolen after fatal hit-and-run,” Katie DeLong, Feb. 06, 2018
