'I'm gonna wreck this (expletive):' Man accused of grabbing wheel as girlfriend drove on I-94, causing crash

Malik Martin



MILWAUKEE COUNTY -- An Oak Creek man is facing charges, accused of grabbing the steering wheel as his girlfriend drove on I-94 on the Fourth of July -- causing a crash that left her injured.

Malik Martin, 22, faces one count of second degree recklessly endangering safety, domestic abuse, one count of disorderly conduct, domestic abuse and one count of reckless driving, causing injury, domestic abuse.

According to a criminal complaint, on the Fourth of July, Wednesday, July 4 authorities responded to I-94 and Rawson for a crash.

They found a Saturn Ion at the scene with severe damage. The driver, a 35-year-old woman was identified via her driver's license. Martin was a passenger in the Saturn. The driver was hurt and transported to the hospital, but the complaint says Martin suffered no visible injuries.

A witness indicated she was headed southbound on I-94 when she noticed the Saturn coming up behind her. She said the Saturn changed lanes and passed her, and as it moved ahead of her, she said she noticed it was "rocking back and forth" and swaying in its lane. She said she slowed down due to the erratic driving. She said she eventually saw cars ahead of her braking, and came upon the scene where the Saturn crashed into a cement wall on the right side of the freeway.

The complaint says investigators spoke with the driver of the Saturn at the hospital. She identified Martin as her live-in boyfriend, and said they were traveling to Chicago for her nephew's birthday party, and as they approached the Rawson exit, Martin "demanded that she drop him off at his sister's house in Oak Creek." She said she wasn't going to do that because they had already planned to go to Chicago. She said Martin then became angry, and said "if you don't take me to my sister's house I'm gonna wreck this (expletive). She said Martin then grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and began jerking it back and forth, causing the vehicle to rock and sway out of its lane. She said she told Martin if he didn't let go, she was going to "mace his (expletive)." The vehicle eventually spun out of control and hit the wall.

Investigators determined that when Martin allegedly grabbed the wheel, the vehicle "spun around, faced oncoming traffic, slid across all four lanes of traffic and struck the right concrete barrier wall, causing severe damage to the vehicle." The complaint says the impact was so severe, the trunk opened and the contents flew out onto the roadway.

The complaint says Martin "chose not to make any statement" about the incident.

Martin made his initial appearance in court on July 8. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for July 18. Cash bond was set at $2,500.