18-year-old who never had valid license pleads guilty in connection with fatal crash
MILWAUKEE COUNTY -- 18-year-old Samira Coleman-Wilks, on Thursday, March 2nd pleaded guilty to charges related to a fatal crash that happened near 27th and Capitol Drive in November.
Samira Coleman-Wilks
Coleman-Wilks pleaded guilty to one count of second degree reckless homicide and one count of second degree reckless injury. Two other charges were dismissed.
She will be sentenced on May 4th.
According to a criminal complaint, Milwaukee police officers were on patrol along N. 27th Street around 9:45 p.m. on November 19th -- and noticed a Chevrolet Impala that had a registration plate that was suspended. The officers pulled over the vehicle -- driven by Coleman-Wilks. As officers approached the vehicle, "the Chevrolet suddenly accelerated northbound on N. 27th Street."
A few moments later, the officer "hear a large crash sound and observed a large cloud of smoke coming from the intersection of N. 27th Street and W. Capitol Drive."
Fatal crash at 27th and Capitol
20-year-old Shawn Oliver, a passenger in Coleman-Wilks' vehicle, died from injuries suffered in the wreck.
Shawn Oliver
Adrian Pyatt was a passenger in Coleman Wilks' vehicle. He spoke with FOX6 News on November 28th -- and said he was physically and mentally scarred from the crash.
Fatal crash at 27th and Capitol
"I still have dreams about it," Pyatt said. "It messes me up in the head to know that one boy died and the other in a coma and she is paralyzed from the waist down."
Pyatt was asleep in the car when the wreck happened. He was startled awake by a "screeching" noise. His face and shoulder struck the dashboard, according to the criminal complaint.
"I woke up, I couldn't move. My shoulder was messed up. I got out. I seen the car and I seen what happened I just started crying and I couldn't really move like that," Pyatt said.
Fatal crash at 27th and Capitol
The complaint indicates investigators downloaded the airbag control module from the Impala and found the "vehicle was traveling at 83 mph with throttle at 100%, just prior to impact." The speed limit in that area is 30 mph -- "meaning the defendant was traveling 53 mph over the speed limit." The complaint also indicates Coleman-Wilks "never had a valid driver's license of any sort."
"I can't tell you what she was thinking," Pyatt said.
Fatal crash at 27th and Capitol
Three people in the vehicle that was struck, two men, ages 28 and 29 and a 22-year-old woman suffered non-life threatening injuries.
"I'm just sorry about what happened out those boys and what happened to all of us. It shouldn't have happened like that. I just wish I could take that day back," Pyatt said.
Fatal crash at 27th and Capitol
FOX6 News spoke with Coleman-Wilks' mother shortly after this happened, who confirmed her daughter did suffer some paralysis in the crash.