MILWAUKEE — Crews are still working to clean up the scene at 76th and Villard where police say a 17-year-old crashed after leading officers on a high-speed chase. Now, the owner of the vehicle that police say the teen stole, is speaking out.
"This is not funny, what is wrong with these young people?" asked Pamela Watkins.
Pamela Watkins had only been a Lyft driver for a couple of months when she picked up a teen who requested to be dropped off at Marshall High School.
"He was very engaged, very polite, so I didn't think anything of it," said Watkins.
But as soon as Watkins arrived at the school...
"He pulled his right hand out of his jacket with a gun and he said 'ma'am you're going to have to get out of your truck,'" said Watkins.
Watkins grabbed her phone and her purse and took off. The next day, she saw a Facebook live of young people on a chase with police. She says the teens were inside her stolen car.
STOLEN CAR: A Lyft driver whose Jeep was stolen after a 17-year-old held her at gunpoint, shared video with me of the teen and two other passengers in her car who went Facebook live during a high speed chase with Milwaukee police. They later crashed near 76th and Villard @tmj4 pic.twitter.com/42TdMafvLo
— Taylor Lumpkin (@TaylorLumpkinTV) February 3, 2022
"I'm like, they are really enjoying my truck, they think this is a joke because they are on a high-speed chase," said Watkins.
Video shows the aftermath of that chase when police say the driver blew through a red light and crashed into several other cars.
"I was in so much disbelief I couldn't even get my thoughts together. I'm hearing people in that area say the young girl was ejected from my back window," said Watkins.
The 17-year-old was arrested and taken to a local hospital along with two girls inside the stolen vehicle. Now, Watkins is seeking justice, and has a message for the teens:
"It's not a video game, this is real life. And you may not live to tell the story. Or you may not even live to go back home to your family," said Watkins.
According to the Milwaukee District Attorney's office, charges are pending against the teen.
