MILWAUKEE, WI — An early Sunday morning crash that left two young women injured on Water Street has reignited calls for stronger enforcement of reckless driving laws in Milwaukee. During a Public Safety and Health Committee meeting at City Hall on Monday, Alderman Bob Bauman expressed outrage over the lack of charges against the driver involved in the incident.
READ ALSO: Mother outraged after Milwaukee driver who severely injured her daughter faces only citation
“They clearly are not taking reckless driving seriously in this city,” said Bauman, calling for the driver to be arrested immediately and felony charges referred to the District Attorney’s Office.
The crash, which injured Chloe Handrich and her friend Samantha Zganjar, is the latest incident in a series of troubling crashes in the city.
The crash occurred when the driver reportedly breached a barricade set up to improve pedestrian safety in the entertainment district.
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The driver was cited for failing to yield and driving without insurance or car registration, but the driver has not faced more severe repercussions, prompting Bauman's criticism.
“I don’t see how you get away with striking someone and causing serious injury with a ticket; it doesn’t make any sense, after breaking through a police barrier,” Bauman added.
The concerns raised by Bauman were echoed by the victim's families ahead of the meeting.
TMJ4 News Lighthouse Reporter Ryan Jenkins questioned Milwaukee Police Department Chief of Staff Heather Hough about the charges against the driver. “What do you say to the family who is asking us why these are not stronger charges?” Jenkins asked.
“The Milwaukee Police Department is doing everything we can to look at how we responded, if our response was appropriate,” Hough responded.
Watch: Alderman calls for charges against driver who hit Water Street pedestrians
When pressed further about the incident and the absence of more serious charges, she refrained from elaborating, stating, “That’s a legal question I am not going to answer for you.”
The committee meeting also highlighted recent data showing that the Milwaukee Police Department and District Attorney’s Office have actively pursued dozens of reckless driving cases. However, Bauman expressed disappointment with the enforcement statistics.
“We heard a whole bunch of statistics that showed they’re really not issuing tickets the way they should,” he said.
As the investigation into the Water Street crash continues, calls for accountability and enhanced enforcement of reckless driving laws remain at the forefront of discussions in Milwaukee.
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