Franklin fatal crash; man accused of driving drunk without license
Leonel Molina Rios
FRANKLIN, Wis. - A Milwaukee man is accused of driving drunk and causing a fatal crash in Franklin on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Prosecutors charged 58-year-old Leonel Molina Rios with knowingly operating without a valid license (causing death) and homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. Court records show he is being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on $150,000 bond.
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The Franklin police and fire departments were called to the scene near Lovers and Rawson around 6:40 p.m. that night. A criminal complaint states there were two SUVs with significant front-end damage.
Prosecutors said the driver of one of the SUVs – identified as a 74-year-old Franklin man – died at the scene. The driver and lone occupant of the other SUV – since identified as Molina Rios – was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and into custody.
Crash at Lovers Lane and Rawson, Franklin
The complaint states Wisconsin State Patrol Technical Reconstruction Unit members determined Molina Rios was driving northbound on Lover Lane Road, crossed the centerline and hit the victim's SUV head on.
While at the hospital, police interviewed Molina Rios. Prosecutors said he told investigators that he had been at a bar after work and had two shots of whiskey and three beers – and believed he was impaired when he drove away from the bar. A blood sample was collected as evidence.
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An employee told police she left the bar before Molina Rios did that day, but she served him at least four beers and two shots of whiskey. The complaint states a business card Molina Rios left at the bar before the crash identified him as a "Conquistador Radio" co-host.
A review of Wisconsin Department of Transportation records found Molina Rios did not have a driver's license, per the complaint. Molina Rios also admitted to investigators that he knew he was driving without a valid license at the time of the crash.