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Fatal hit-and-run crash sheds light on reckless driving in Milwaukee

Milwaukee police continue to search for the driver of a stolen car that caused a fatal hit-and-run crash Monday. Surveillance video captures the crash shortly after 5:30 a.m. Monday, when a stolen SUV traveling at high speed crosses into the oncoming lane, skids and collides with an SUV driven by Tai Rosa Perez, 38, of Oak Creek, who does not survive the crash. However, surveillance video shows the two occupants of the stolen SUV running from the scene. “Obviously, I offer my condolences to the family of the young woman who lost her life. This should not happen,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said Wednesday. “This is why we are cracking down on reckless driving.” Johnson held a news conference Wednesday to release new data showing that traffic calming projects such as extending curbs, closing turn lanes and narrowing some streets from four to two lanes are working. Data from city engineer Kevin Muhs shows the 14 traffic “calming” projects have reduced speeding by as much as 86% on some streets. “Before these changes were implemented, it was crazy,” said business owner Sunny Singh. “It was the Wild West out there, people were driving 60 to 70 miles per hour.” Singh owns Steve's Liquor on Appleton Avenue near Burleigh Street. He said the projects to close the turn lanes and right-hand lanes on both sides of the road have had a drastic impact. “I was nervous at first, but I'm glad the changes happened,” Singh said. And while the mayor said it's reassuring to see their traffic calming projects are working, another important aspect is holding people accountable when their recklessness leads to deaths, like Tia's this week. “Let's not get confused: Whether it's engineering or education, I support those things, but I also really support enforcement and people being responsible,” Johnson said. The Cadillac SUV was stolen on Milwaukee's east side near the corner of Brady and Marshall streets.

MILWAUKEE —

Milwaukee police continue to search for the driver of a stolen car that caused a fatal hit-and-run crash on Monday.

Surveillance video shows the accident shortly after 5:30 a.m. on Monday when a stolen SUV crossed into the oncoming lane at high speed, skidded and collided with an SUV driven by Tai Rosa Perez, 38, of Oak Creek. She did not survive the accident. However, surveillance video shows the two occupants of the stolen SUV running from the scene of the accident.

“Obviously, I want to express my condolences to the family of the young woman who lost her life. This should not happen,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said Wednesday. “That's why we're cracking down on reckless driving, and we're cracking down on it in this way.”

Johnson held a press conference Wednesday to release new data showing that traffic calming projects such as extending curbs, closing turn lanes and narrowing some streets from four lanes to two are working. Data from city engineer Kevin Muhs shows that the 14 traffic “calming” projects have reduced speeding on some streets by as much as 86%.

“Before these changes were implemented, it was crazy,” said business owner Sunny Singh. “It was like the Wild West out there, people were driving 60 to 70 miles an hour.”

Singh is the owner of Steve's Liquor on Appleton Avenue near Burleigh Street. He said the plans to close the turning lanes and right-hand lanes on both sides of the road would have had a drastic impact.

“I was nervous at first, but I’m glad the changes happened,” Singh said.

While the mayor said it was reassuring to see that traffic calming measures were working, another important aspect was holding people accountable when their recklessness led to deaths, as in Tia's case this week.

“To be clear, whether it's engineering or education, while I support those things, I'm also very clear about enforcement and holding people accountable,” Johnson said.

The Cadillac SUV was stolen on Milwaukee's east side near the corner of Brady and Marshall streets.

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