Milwaukee fatal crash; teen driving 68 mph on impact: complaint
Shaquille Litzow
MILWAUKEE - A 17-year-old Milwaukee boy is accused of causing a crash that killed one person and seriously injured another on Sunday night, Oct. 29. The accused is Shaquille Litzow – and he faces the following criminal counts:
- Hit-and-run resulting in death
- Knowingly operate motor vehicle without a valid license-cause death
- Hit-and-run great bodily harm
- Knowingly operate motor vehicle without a valid license-cause great bodily harm
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee officers with the Specialized Patrol Division Crash Reconstruction Unit responded to the intersection of 5th and Lapham on Sunday, Oct. 29. Investigators determined an SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed and failed to stop for a red traffic signal the off-ramp from I-94 to Lapham Boulevard. The SUV collided with a van traveling west on Lapham. The driver of the SUV fled the scene on foot, the complaint says.
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A 54-year-old man was driving the van. He suffered serious injuries -- and was hospitalized. A passenger in the van, a 54-year-old woman, was pronounced deceased on the scene.
Investigators recovered the airbag control module from the SUV. The complaint says it "showed that the defendant was driving at approximately 86 miles per hour five seconds before the crash and 68 miles per hour just before colliding with the Dodge. Video of the crash confirmed that the defendant failed to stop for a red traffic signal."
A police officer was assigned to look for the driver that caused the collision. While responding to the defendant's home, Litzow "turned himself into the District 2 police station," the complaint says. Litzow told police "he was reaching for his phone when he 't-boned' the victim's car. When he was on scene, a bystander told him to run or he would be arrested. He went to his residence where his mother convinced him to turn himself in," the complaint says.
On Oct. 30, a detective conducted a Mirandized interview with Litzow. The defendant stated "he was driving on the freeway when his cellphone shifted off the center console and fell by his feet," the complaint says. "The defendant stated he was not paying attention. The defendant stated that he did not have a license, that he never took the driving test, and never received a legally obtained driver's license," the complaint adds.
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Litzow made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Saturday, Nov. 4. Cash bond was set at $17,500.