MILWAUKEE — New body camera video shows the dramatic rescue of a pregnant woman from a burning vehicle after an alleged drunk-driving wrong-way crash in Milwaukee on Sunday, which left her with serious injuries and caused the death of her unborn child.
The video, released Friday, Oct. 31, follows one of the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) deputies who responded to the crash around 4:24 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 26.
Watch: Bodycam video shows rescue of pregnant woman from burning car after wrong-way crash on I-43
"Come on, come on, you gotta get out! You gotta get out!" the deputy could be heard saying on the bodycam.
The woman, identified in a release from the MCSO as a pregnant 33-year-old, could be heard screaming in the video as the deputy pleaded for her to get out of the burning vehicle.
The video shows the deputy seemingly realizing the woman's driver-side door was stuck and calling for help from a nearby deputy.
"Help! Help me! Come on!" the deputy pleaded in the video. After being joined by the other deputy, who had been assessing the alleged wrong-way driver's condition, they were able to free the woman from the vehicle.
Prosecutors say 39-year-old Jorge Alvarez Mathuzima struck the pregnant woman's SUV, causing it to roll over onto its roof and catch fire. She suffered a severe laceration, a fractured rib, a broken nose and a broken hip, among other injuries, according to the MCSO.
At the time of the crash, the woman said she had been driving home from Amazon in Kenosha when she suddenly saw headlights coming toward her, according to a criminal complaint.
Prosecutors say the woman tried to turn before being hit and that the last thing she remembers was being pulled out of her car.
Toxicology testing showed Mathuzima’s blood-alcohol content at the time of the crash was 0.1569, nearly twice the legal limit in Wisconsin, according to the sheriff’s office.
Both the woman and Mathuzima were taken to area hospitals, where the woman later learned her unborn child had died. One of the deputies was also treated at an area hospital after injuring his hand during the rescue.
Charges and penalties
Mathuzima has been charged with:
- One count of first-degree reckless homicide — unborn child, a Class B felony that carries a potential sentence of 60 years imprisonment
- One count of homicide — intoxicated use/vehicle — unborn child, a Class D felony that carries a potential penalty of a $100,000 fine, 25 years imprisonment or both
- One count of first-degree reckless injury, a Class D felony — $100,000 fine, 25 years imprisonment or both
- One count of operating while intoxicated causing injury — first offense, a misdemeanor punishable with fines of up to $2,000, up to one year in jail, or both
He appeared in court Thursday for an initial appearance, according to court records. He’s due back in court Nov. 5 for a preliminary hearing.
Wrong-way incidents on the rise
So far in 2025, the sheriff’s office says it has responded to 203 wrong-way driver incidents on the Milwaukee County freeway system and made 87 OWI crash arrests and 261 freeway OWI arrests that, thankfully, did not involve crashes.
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