Pedestrian killed in Milwaukee, man gets probation
Latrell Katherine
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man convicted of hitting a woman with his car, killing her, has been sentenced to three years of probation.
Court records show 28-year-old Latrell Katherine pleaded guilty in October to knowingly operating a motor vehicle while suspended, causing death. Nine months of his probation is to be served in the Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center with work release privileges.
Prosecutors said Katherine told police he was driving for DoorDash at the time of the April crash – despite not having a valid driver's license. The company, though, said he was "not associated" with the platform.
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The victim, 35-year-old Tesa Steele, was walking across Capitol Drive near 88th Street when she was hit. She was taken to a hospital where she ultimately died of her injuries. An autopsy found she had multiple blunt force injuries, including skull fractures.
According to a criminal complaint, Katherine told police he was making a DoorDash delivery when an SUV suddenly changed lanes in front of him on Capitol Drive. He said he didn't know why the SUV moved suddenly but, after passing the SUV, hit Steele. He said he did not see her or realize that he had hit a person until after he pulled over.
Tesa Steele
Katherine admitted to knowing his driver's license had been suspended because of unpaid tickets, per the complaint. Asked how he can work for DoorDash without a valid license, Katherine told police the app allows you to state if you're using a car or a bicycle – and he always selects bicycle.
The complaint states Katherine's license has been suspended since February 2021 after failing to pay a fine for operating without a license in October 2020. The complaint states he has three prior operating while suspended convictions.
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FOX6 News called DoorDash to see if it was aware of their employee driving illegally. In a statement, the company said:
"This is a devastating tragedy and our hearts are with the loved ones of the victim. The driver involved is not associated with our platform. We have permanently deactivated the account that was used during this incident and have reached out directly to law enforcement to assist with their investigation."
Katherine was initially sentenced to three years in prison. That sentenced was stayed in favor of probation.