Milwaukee toddler struck by vehicle, killed; driver charged
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man has been criminally charged in connection to the death of a two-year-old child.
41-year-old Laron Lawrence is accused of striking the child with his SUV near 60th and Hustis in Milwaukee on Wednesday, Nov. 13. The child died from his injuries.
Lawrence does not have a valid driver's license. He has been charged with one count of Knowingly Operating a Motor Vehicle without a License - Causing Death.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Child struck at 60th and Hustis, Milwaukee
Case details
According to the criminal complaint, at about 12:25 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, police were sent to an accident near 60th and Raintree. Upon arrival, they found a two-year-old child lying in the roadway after being struck by a truck. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Eyewitnesses told police that they saw a GMC Yukon traveling southbound on 60th Street when the child suddenly appeared in the roadway in front of the Yukon. The Yukon braked and swerved but appeared unable to avoid striking the child. The Yukon stopped after the accident and remained on scene, per the complaint.
Officers determined that the child lived in an apartment in the area. The window to the apartment had been left open, and the child had climbed out and wandered unsupervised into the roadway.
The complaint goes on to say that police spoke to the defendant, Laron Lawrence, who admitted being the driver of the Yukon. He admitted that he did not have a driver’s license. He admitted the same things in a later interview with detectives. He said that he was on his way back to work when the child darted out in front of him, and he was unable to avoid hitting him, despite his efforts to avoid the child.
Toddler struck at 60th and Hustis, Milwaukee
A record maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation shows that Lawrence does not have a valid license. He had a learner’s permit in 2014 which expired in 2015. He never followed through getting a license. He was cited for Operating After Suspension for incidents in 2020 and 2021.
FOX6 also learned that a 25-year-old man was arrested for child neglect.
While digging into Lawrence’s criminal history, FOX6 News also learned in 2019, he was cited by the Milwaukee Police Department for operating a motor vehicle without insurance, resulting in two lawsuits.
In 2003, he was pulled over twice and later charged with a criminal traffic violation. His record goes back to 2000, when he was convicted of taking and driving a vehicle without consent.
Court
Laron Lawrence made his initial appearance in court on Monday, Nov. 18, and cash bond was set at $2,000.
Remarks were made by both Lawrence's defense attorney and the district attorney.
"Here, still, driving a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license and therefore without insurance, and putting everyone else at risk of anything that he does when behind the wheel of a vehicle," said Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Karine O’Byrne.
"This is a very tragic situation, but the fact that he just didn’t have a license is really the main differentiator between him or any one of us who it could have happened to," said Defense Attorney Daniel Quist.
The Milwaukee County Circuit Court Commissioner noted Lawrence's criminal history as quote, "rife with traffic crimes, from operating while suspended, fleeing from police, operating while revoked. In fact, that makes up your entire criminal history. It’s not as dated as I think defense would like to believe, because we have the somewhat recent traffic arrest and charges."
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 25.
Vigil held
A vigil was held Saturday, Nov 16, for the child, later identified as Angelo Berry, on Milwaukee's north side.
"I just heard a scream from down the block and I immediately heard like three or four ambulances come across the block," Shaquan Jefferson, who lives nearby, told FOX6 News the day of the crash. "It’s sad. It’s devastating to me."
Milwaukee toddler struck, killed near 60th and Hustis; vigil held
A vigil was held Saturday for Angelo Berry, the 2-year-old who was struck by a vehicle and killed on Milwaukee's north side.
"Not having a valid driver’s license, it just really ups the ante on what the repercussions could be," said Celia Jackson with Coalition for Safe Driving MKE. "It is something that creates a vicious cycle for people."
More response
Alderwoman Larresa Taylor provided the following statement:
"I know this response comes several days after the horrible loss of Angelo Berry, the 2-year-old hit and killed by a car last Wednesday, but this tragic incident took time for it to be understood in its totality. Like many in the community, I initially believed this death to be the result of reckless driving. However, while the motorist was driving without a valid driver’s license, it was later determined that child neglect for the 2-year-old was involved.
Parents, it is our responsibility to protect and care for our children. I often stated as I raised my own children, ‘I have one time and one time only to do this job of raising my children and protecting them.’
This incident shows us all that one wrong choice can result in loss of life for which we do not get a second chance. If for any reason you are struggling - to care for your children, to deal with the stresses of life, or for any other reason – please remember you are not alone and seek help. No one has to combat life alone.
My heart continues to ache for the loss that Angelo’s family suffers. I offer my deepest, sincerest condolences to the family in their time of grieving."