Milwaukee man charged in crash that killed unborn child
Donovan Walker Hall
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Multiple felony charges were filed against 23-year-old Donovan Walker-Hall of Milwaukee on Thursday, May 9th in connection with a crash that happened near Martin Luther King and Locust on Monday.
Walker-Hall faces multiple charges including homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle, duty upon striking a person, knowingly operating a motor vehicle while suspended, and reckless driving.
The criminal complaint against Walker-Hall indicates he was driving an SUV northbound on MLK just after 2:30 p.m. on Monday when he struck another vehicle, left the roadway and drove onto the sidewalk. That's when he struck a pregnant woman, identified as Ashley Williams. Williams survived the crash but her unborn child did not. She remains in the hospital with serious injuries.
The complaint indicates a surveillance camera at a nearby Milwaukee Public Library captured the entire crash sequence on video. It also says investigators downloaded the event data recorder in the SUV that Walker-Hall was driving. It showed Walker-Hall was "driving approximately 56 miles per hour just prior to the collision sequence. The speed limit in that block is 30 miles per hour."
The complaint says investigators found Walker-Hall has "no operator's license issued and that his current status is suspended." It also says "Walker-Hall's driving record reveals three convictions for Operating Without a License and ten convictions for Operating After Suspension dating back to February 4, 2009."
The criminal complaint indicates Walker-Hall initially left the scene of the crash. When asked why, Walker-Hall "states that he did not stay on the scene because he went to see if the lady that he hit was okay and a man who he assumed was the lady’s boyfriend had pushed him down and was threatening him." Walker-Hall apparently then ran off and called 911 to report what he had done.
The complaint also notes that Walker-Hall said he never meant to hurt anyone and accepts responsibility. If convicted, Walker-Hall faces up to 15 years in prison and $50,000 in fines.
Family members of the victims say they want a harsh punishment for the driver, as they prepare for a funeral instead of a birth.
Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.
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