Wrong-way driver accused of hitting off-duty officer reaches plea deal
MILWAUKEE — 23-year-old Erin Salmon — the woman accused of crashing into an off-duty Milwaukee police officer while driving the wrong way on I-94, allegedly drunk, waived all rights and pleaded guilty during her court appearance Wednesday, December 19th and was examined as to the plea.
Salmon was charged Friday, September 7th with two criminal counts in connection with a collision with an off-duty Milwaukee police officer. That crash happened on eastbound I-94 near 30th Street early Wednesday, September 5th. Salmon is accused of driving the wrong way on the freeway, allegedly drunk.
According to the criminal complaint against Salmon, the deputy who first arrived on the scene detected a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her (Salmon’s) breath and observed that her eyes were bloodshot and ‘glassy’ looking.”
Salmon and Albert were each taken into surgery. Salmon suffered injuries including a lacerated spleen and liver, an aortic tear, brain injury and a shattered right leg. Albert suffered severe pelvic injury with several fractures, spinal fluid leak, internal bleeding, a severe left ankle injury, a fracture of his femur along with cuts and abrasions. Police say both are in critical condition.
In mid-September, additional charges were filed against Salmon for a second crash that occurred that same night.
A criminal complaint indicates September 4th was a night that started with four beers and a shot of whiskey for Salmon at an east side bar.
The complaint says when Salmon left that bar, she rear-ended a car near Oakland and North just before 11:30 p.m. The complaint says Salmon’s boyfriend, a passenger in her vehicle, got out of the car to talk with the crash victim. The complaint goes on to say the crash victim began writing down the license plate number of the car Salmon was allegedly operating. The victim in that crash told police Salmon’s boyfriend yelled at him, asking him not to call officers, and forget about the crash.
Related stories: