Crash-related deaths up in Milwaukee, police say

MILWAUKEE — Reckless speeding citations are up by a significant margin, according tonew data from Milwaukee Police.

A house on 48^th and Locust is now a vigil for a 17-year-old boy police say was speeding when he lost control of his car.

The quiet intersection tells a story.

Balloons and candles were out several days after police say 17-year-old Cornelous Travis crashed into a house. He died on the scene.

The woman who lives inside didn’t want to go on camera but said she was home with kids when they heard the crash.

She says she immediately knew the teen was gone.

“We have had a number of teenagers who get into accidents because of speeding,” said Scott Banks, an instructor at arcade driving school in West Allis. With the prevalence of reckless driving in the area, he's urging his students to be extra cautious on the road.

“Take a couple extra seconds. Take a couple of extra looks. Because our eyes are the best defense while we’re driving,” Banks said.

According to Milwaukee Police, nearly 15,000 speeding-related reckless driving citations were given so far this year as of Nov. 30.

That number is up more than 2,000 from last year’s total through the end of November.

“I was just going up 27^th and Locust and a reckless driver blew through a red light,” said Lilo Allen, who is recovering from an accident she had in October. Her car caught fire and she had to be pulled from it.

She was transported to Froedtert where she stayed for two weeks; left with some broken bones, a need for rehabilitation, and medical expenses because of a split-second incident she didn’t see coming.

“You never think it could be you. You see all these reckless drivers and you hope it won’t be you but honestly, it can be anybody,” Allen said.

Traffic deaths are also up this year. Through Dec. 6 crashes have caused 71 deaths. That is an increase from 45 in the same period in 2019.

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