MLK and Burleigh fatal crash; woman charged

Morhonda Hill

A 31-year-old Milwaukee woman has been charged in connection to a fatal crash that happened at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Burleigh Street on Monday, Sept. 6. Morhonda Hill is accused of running a red light – causing the collision. 

Hill is facing the following charges: homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle, and knowingly operating a motor vehicle while revoked (causing death of another). 

According to the criminal complaint, officers were dispatched to the area of Martin Luther King Drive and Burleigh Street around 9:15 a.m. for reports of a crash. 

Upon arrival, officers observed a green Corvette with "massive damage," according to the complaint. It appeared to the officers that the Corvette had been struck on the driver’s side. The driver of the Corvette, identified as a 51-year-old Milwaukee man, was transported to the hospital where he died as a result of his injuries.  

The officers then observed that the other vehicle involved in the collision was a black Ford SUV. The driver of the Ford was identified as Morhonda Hill. 

According to the criminal complaint, a witness on the scene told officers that prior to the collision, she [the witness] was in her car and was stopped at the traffic light at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. and W. Burleigh. She was traveling north and the light for northbound traffic was red. The witness indicated that the light for traffic on Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. turned green, and she was about to drive into the intersection when she saw a black SUV traveling fast on W. Burleigh Street –  approaching the intersection of W. Burleigh St. and Dr. Martin Luther King Dr. 

The witness told investigators that the black SUV "ran" the red light and hit a green Corvette, causing the Corvette to spin and hit a bench on the southwest corner of the intersection. 

A second witness claims when the light for southbound traffic turned green, she saw a Ford SUV traveling "real fast" from the east. The witness said the Ford entered the intersection and collided with the Corvette – which had pulled into the intersection when the light for southbound traffic turned green. 

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Milwaukee police reviewed an electronic copy of the driving record of Morhonda Hill. According to the information in that record, Hill has not had a Wisconsin driver’s license issued to her and her driver’s license status is revoked indefinitely. 

As part of the investigation of this collision, the Powertrain Control Module was recovered from the Ford Edge. An analysis of data stored in the Powertrain Control Module provided the following information:  

  • Approximately 20 seconds prior to the collision, the Ford was traveling 51 miles per hour.
  • The speed of the vehicle steadily increased to 56 miles per hour at approximately 17.4 seconds prior to the collision.
  • The speed of the vehicle increased to 60 miles per hour approximately 14.2 seconds prior to the collision. 
  • The speed of the vehicle slowed to 52 miles per hour at 8 seconds prior to the collision, and the driver then applied the brakes. 
  • The brakes remained active until 2.2 seconds prior to the collision, and at that point, the vehicle is traveling at 44 miles per hour. 
  • The brakes were then released and the driver applied the accelerator. 
  • The vehicle continues to travel between 43 and 44 miles per hour until .4 seconds prior to the collision, at which time the driver applied the brakes and the vehicle slowed to an impact see of 41 miles per hour. 

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