Milwaukee police chase, crash; accused driver hid in basement
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man is accused in a high-speed chase that ended with a serious, multi-car crash on Friday, Aug. 23. One car was split in half.
Prosecutors said 32-year-old Daniel Webb fled the scene of a shooting at speeds that reached 100 mph. After the crash near Sherman and Villard, he hid in the basement of a nearby home and refused to surrender to police for roughly an hour.
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Police chase
According to a criminal complaint, officers were first called for a shooting that happened around 3:20 p.m. When they got there, they saw a white Audi with an Illinois license plate flee the scene.
Officers tried to pull the car over, but the driver took off. It sparked a roughly four-mile chase throughout the area that reached speeds as high as 100 mph. During the pursuit, prosecutors said the driver – later identified as Webb – swerved between lanes, ran multiple stop signs and sped through a construction zone.
Multi-car crash
At the intersection of Sherman and Villard, the complaint states the fleeing Audi crashed into multiple cars and caused "catastrophic" damage to one of them. One car was hit so hard it was split in half – the rear portion ending up more than 50 feet away from the rest of the car.
The driver of the split car was seriously hurt and taken to a hospital. Prosecutors said her spleen and one kidney had to be removed due to the extent of her injuries; she is in critical but stable condition as of Aug. 30. The driver and two passengers of a second car that was hit were also hurt.
Car split in half after crash near Sherman and Villard (Courtesy: MCDAO)
Webb arrested
The white Audi came to a stop against another car. According to the complaint, Webb got out through the passenger side of the wrecked Audi because the driver's door was pinned against the other car. He was the driver and lone occupant.
A resident showed police doorbell camera video that showed Webb entering their home through an unlocked door after the crash. The resident said they heard someone run into their basement, per the complaint.
Car crashes near Sherman and Villard during police chase (Courtesy: MCDAO)
Prosecutors said officers went into the home to look for Webb and repeatedly announced themselves in an attempt to get him to answer or surrender. It was not until a K-9 was sent into the basement that Webb announced himself and said he was injured.
Officers told Webb to crawl to the stairs so they could provide medical attention, per the complaint, but he refused to follow orders. A "throw bot" was then deployed to find Webb, and he eventually slid to the basement stairs after roughly an hour in the basement. He was then taken into custody.
Police searched the wrecked Audi. Inside, the complaint states they found a semiautomatic pistol, a gallon-sized bag of what was believed to be marijuana, a smaller bag of suspected marijuana, a small bag of heroin, two digital scales and five cellphones. Police believed the items were "consistent with street level" drug sales.
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In court
In all, Webb is charged with:
- First-degree reckless injury
- First-degree recklessly endangering safety (4 counts)
- Vehicle operator fleeing/eluding an officer
- Hit-and-run
- Knowingly operating while suspended
- Possession with intent to deliver heroin
- Possession of a firearm by a felon
- Felony bail jumping (3 counts)
- Misdemeanor resisting/obstructing an officer
- Misdemeanor criminal trespassing
At the time of the pursuit and crash, the complaint states Webb was out on bond for a felony drug case. He was also previously convicted of recklessly endangering safety. His driving privileges were suspended due to a damage judgment in 2021.