WEST ALLIS, Wis. — A four-year-old boy is dead after the car he was in was hit by a drunk driver Wednesday night on Highway 100, near National Avenue in West Allis. The boy's mother and aunt are still hospitalized but will survive.
The driver of the vehicle that hit them was also injured and is still hospitalized. West Allis Police confirm the 27-year-old man from Greenfield is under arrest for Operating while Intoxicated (OWI).
According to the City of West Allis Police Department, a preliminary investigation revealed a vehicle was traveling southbound on 108th and struck another southbound vehicle around 8:45 p.m.
The vehicle that was struck was occupied by a 50-year-old woman, 46-year-old woman, and a 4-year-old boy. All three were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The 4-year-old died at Children's Wisconsin.
The 4-year-old boy has been identified as Alexis Gonzalez.
Family describes Alexis Gonzalez as the light of their lives. He was the only child of Alvino and Sandra Gonzalez.
Alvino shared photos from a family trip they just took to Lake Genva this past Sunday. They were celebrating the start of summer.
Alvino says his son loved playing in water and dinosaurs. He was recently named Student of the Month at Forest Home Avenue School.
“He was an angel,” said Arturo Rosales, a close family friend. “We are feeling very deep pain. This is terrible.”
Sandra Gonzalez is still hospitalized, but her physical injuries are not severe. It is her emotional pain everyone is worried about.
“She is not doing good,” said Rosales. “She has a broken heart. We will do anything we can to help her get through this. Her son was her life.”
Sandra’s sister is hospitalized with broken bones.
They went out to dinner Wednesday night and were on their way home when they were hit by another vehicle.
“When I found out the boy died, my heart just broke,” said Ryan McFarland. “I feel so bad for the family.”
McFarland was working nearby when the accident happened. He heard the crash and saw sparks in the street. He ran out to help.
“I saw the little boy in the back seat,” McFarland said. “I could not get him out of the car, so I crawled in and held his head so it would be supported. He was in a car seat, and the driver was wearing her seat belt, but when you are hit at that high of a speed, it does not matter. The force was just too much. The back of their car was totally pushed in. The woman in the front regained conscious and was trying to talk to me, I just told her not to move. That I was holding the boy.”
Both McFarland and the Gonzalez family - who will never be the same - shared this message about reckless driving.
"It’s gotten ridiculous,” McFarland said. “People need to stop. Highway 100 is dangerous. I worried something like this would happen. I never thought I would have to see it. A four-year-old is dead. It is senseless.”
“The speeding and carelessness are too much, and the driver who did this needs to be punished,” Rosales said. “We’re now living a nightmare we will never be able to get out of.”
