Ronald Forbes' family reacts to his death after hit-and-run crash

JACKSON -- The family of the man hit and killed by a 13-year-old drag racing in a stolen car is reacting to his death. Ronald Forbes died August 6th while riding to work on his bicycle near 65th and Hampton in Milwaukee. 

"I don't care her age. She shouldn't have been out all night stealing cars, and running people down," Forbes' sister Diane Cole said.

In Cole's first comments to the media since the incident that killed her father, Cole spoke from her home in Jackson surrounded by family.

"It's just not right. She needs to be prosecuted as an adult. We're going to miss him and I think it'll take a long time," Cole said.

The accused faces charges including first degree reckless homicide, hit-and-run resulting in death and operating a vehicle without the owner's consent.

The criminal complaint in the case indicates the girl and another person had stolen the car from a home on N. 39th St. and was seen driving the vehicle at a high rate of speed. According to the passenger in the car who talked to police, she warned the 13-year-old girl to watch out for the bicyclist. But the complaint says the 13-year-old seemed to be driving right toward the victim intentionally.

The complaint says after striking Forbes, the 13-year-old "was laughing about striking the victim stating something like, 'He shouldn't have been in the street.'"

After some investigation, officers tracked down the accused at a home on N. 39th St. In the complaint, the girl stated, "I was going fast, about 80 mph and the music was loud." She told officers she went through a red light at 68th and Hampton, and then through a second light. Moments later, she apparently "saw a lot of traffic then heard a 'bump or boom' noise and turned around."

Immediately after the crash, the complaint indicates the girl turned the corner, parked the car and jumped into another vehicle that had pulled up behind her. She asked the boys in that vehicle to take her home. On the way home, that vehicle ran out of gas and the complaint says "she tried to steal another van to get home."

If convicted, the girl faces up to 60 years in prison. She'll be in juvenile court on Friday, September 7th.