Boys killed in Delafield crash, father enters not guilty plea
Paul Vinson
WAUKESHA, Wis. - 29-year-old Paul Vinson, the Milwaukee man charged with 10 felonies after a Waukesha County pursuit led to a fatal rollover crash on Dec. 20, entered a plea of not guilty during his arraignment on Monday, Feb. 5. A status hearing has been scheduled for March 18.
Vinson's children, two 10-year-old boys, Paul and Zapaulion Vinson, were killed in the crash.
Case details
Officials said it began shortly before midnight on Wednesday, Dec. 20. A criminal complaint states a deputy tried to stop a vehicle for speeding and driving without license plates on I-94, but the driver – identified as Vinson – got off the interstate "in an attempt to avoid the deputy" at Prospect Avenue.
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The complaint states the vehicle initially stopped on Prospect Avenue – but sped away down Golf Road as the deputy approached the vehicle. Deputies tried to chase after it, but said the fleeing vehicle was driving as fast as 95 mph. When deputies caught up, they found the vehicle had crashed on Golf Road near Maple Avenue in the town of Delafield. Four people were on the ground.
Investigators said the vehicle lost control, went into a ditch and hit a culvert before coming to a rest on its side. The two boys had been ejected and were pronounced dead at the scene, per the complaint.
After the crash, the sheriff's department said the driver, Vinson, was taken to a hospital in critical but stable condition. A 29-year-old woman was also taken to a hospital in stable condition, and two girls – ages 14 and 6 – were in critical condition.
Rollover crash after Waukesha County pursuit in the town of Delafield
The sheriff's department said both boys were the driver's sons. The 29-year-old woman is the driver's girlfriend, and the 6-year-old is their daughter. The 14-year-old is the driver's niece. All six occupants were from Milwaukee.
Investigators spoke to the 29-year-old woman in the hospital, the complaint states. She said she didn't remember much from the crash and was "sleeping most of the drive" – but woke up to Vinson saying "no no no" as the vehicle went into the ditch. She said they were driving back from Mall of America and had left Minnesota around 6 p.m. or 7 p.m.
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The 29-year-old woman also said, per the complaint, that no car seats or seat belts were used for the four children, who were all seated in the back seat.
The complaint states Vinson had a brain bleed and a fractured vertebra due to the crash. The 29-year-old woman had a collapsed lung, among other injuries. The two girls were diagnosed with brain bleeds and brain swelling, among other injuries, as well. One of the girls suffered a "severed left arm."
Investigators said, per the complaint, that Vinson told them they were all driving back from Minnesota. The complaint states Vinson never had a valid driver's license and had 12 prior convictions for operating while suspended between 2013 and 2022.
In all, court records show Vinson is charged with:
- Fleeing/eluding an officer – causing death (two counts)
- Fleeing/eluding an officer – causing great bodily harm (three counts)
- Knowingly operating without a valid license – causing death (two counts)
- Knowingly operating without a valid license – causing great bodily harm (three counts)
Because two deputies from the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department were directly involved in the motor vehicle pursuit, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Wisconsin State Patrol were requested to complete the investigation into the pursuit and subsequent vehicle crash.