Five dead, including 4 minors, in overnight crashes in Milwaukee

Five people, including three teens and a 1-year-old child, are dead after two cars crashed into each other at an intersection on Milwaukee's northwest side late Sunday.

In what appears to be the latest example of Milwaukee's reckless driving problem, one driver was arrested under suspicion of speeding while the second driver was arrested under suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to police.

Meanwhile, a second incident on the city's north side reported 90 minutes later killed one adult and injured two others when a driver crashed his car into a tree.

“The loss of lives overnight is horrifying," Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in a statement. "The serious injuries and the ages of the people involved compound the tragedy. I extend my condolences to the families and friends of the victims.

“When tons of automobile metal collide at high speeds, the outcome is never good.  My hope is that last night’s incidents provide a wakeup call throughout Milwaukee, reminding drivers to follow traffic rules thoughtfully and cautiously.”

Police say one car was speeding at 80 mph

Police were called to the intersection of North 60th Street and West Fond du Lac Avenue at 11:45 p.m.

A report from the Medical Examiner's Office said the driver of a Kia Sedona was traveling at 80 mph on Fond du Lac Avenue when it ran a red light and crashed into a Dodge Journey heading north on North 60th Street.

After the impact, several people were ejected from the Kia, police said. Five passengers died, the medical examiner's office said.

Four of the victims were identified by the agency as Aniya Y. Robinson, 1; Mercedes C. Brown-Weeks, 15; Mikayla Rattler, 15; and Isreal Williams, 17. The fifth person, who died hours later, has only been identified as a 32-year-old Milwaukee male. Another passenger, a 17-year-old girl, is in the hospital with life threatening injuries, police said Monday evening.

The driver of that car, a 20-year-old Milwaukee woman, was hospitalized with serious injuries and was arrested on suspicion of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle, police said.

Police said the driver of the Dodge is a 32-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Second incident involved car crashing into tree

This incident occurred at about 1:15 a.m. Monday when a 68-year-old man driving a 2001 gray Oldsmobile was traveling east on W. Capitol Drive. The driver would run the car into a tree and would die of his injuries en route to the hospital.

Three additional occupants of the car were taken to the hospital. These occupants include a 35-year-old man in critical condition, a 21-year-old woman in stable condition and a 28-year-old woman in stable condition.

MPD said an investigation into the crash is ongoing and the identities of those involved is still pending.

City officials implore residents to call out reckless driving

In a statement late Monday morning, Johnson detailed some of the ways his administration has tried and make roads in Milwaukee safer, such as redesigning streets, changing laws and creating efforts such as Vision Zero.

But acknowledged there is more that can be done and said he hopes the two crashes will serve as a "wake-up call" for Milwaukee drivers.

“Clearly, there is more work to do. And, addressing the human factor — the actions of drivers — is a big part of the efforts ahead," the mayor said.

Police Chief Jeffrey Norman acknowledged reckless driving is an issue public officials are still addressing. But he noted it appeared both drivers in the crash that killed five people were being irresponsible behind the wheel and both cars included passengers old enough to intervene.

"The driver was not alone in this vehicle, driving at high rates of speed on our city streets where normally it’s 35 miles per hour," he said. "Where does the intervention come in at that level? That is the help that the Milwaukee Police Department is asking for, our city leaders are looking for, our community leaders. It’s an all-hands-on-deck approach.”

Milwaukee Alderman Mark Chambers, Jr. also released a statement expressing sadness and anger toward the number of automobile deaths in Milwaukee.

"The loss of life involving automobiles in our city is far too high. It frustrates and angers me and my constituents (and most across the city) because many – if not all – of these deaths are preventable," he said.

Fond du Lac Avenue has long been noted as a reckless driving hot spot

Of the 14 intersections in Milwaukee with the highest frequency of crashes from June 2021 through May 2022, two involved North 60th Street and another five involved Fond du Lac Avenue, according to a sampling of data from the Milwaukee Police Department.

Those seven intersections totaled more than 250 crashes in that time period.

Fond du Lac Avenue is long been a target of consternation for Milwaukee residents advocating for greater traffic and pedestrian safety.

“I’m an Uber driver and on two occasions I have been caught in the middle of shoot-outs on Fond du Lac, and both times there was reckless driving involved,” said Tracey Dent, a community activist who works with youth about reckless driving and other issues.

Dent believes the city of Milwaukee needs to be harder on reckless driving to show younger individuals there are consequences for committing these crimes.

Last week, Gov. Tony Evers signed two bills into law that raised the penalties for reckless driving and carjacking. One day before that, Johnson signed into law an ordinance that will allow police to tow the cars of reckless drivers in certain situations.

“These kids are worried about views and likes, not the consequences of their actions,” said Dent, referring to social media posts young people sometimes make when driving dangerously.

Drake Bentley of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Woman in custody after crash kills 1-year-old girl and 3 other minors