MILWAUKEE — A car crash on Milwaukee's north side has left a mother and her autistic son homeless after a vehicle slammed into their residence following a hit-and-run collision.
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Mariah Bratchett and her non-verbal son were outside their home when the incident occurred, narrowly avoiding what could have been a tragic outcome.
"I was sitting outside letting him run and play, and suddenly I hear this big boom!" Bratchett said.
The peaceful Monday evening was shattered in an instant.
"Then I see what looked like an explosion," Bratchett said.
According to police, a 77-year-old man's vehicle was struck from behind by a reckless driver speeding east on Capitol Drive. The impact forced his car into a tree before crashing through Bratchett's bedroom wall, flipping the vehicle on its side.
Bratchett had recently moved back to Milwaukee, hoping to rebuild her life for her son, who is on the autism spectrum. In what she describes as a fortunate coincidence, her son had brought her his play shoes to go outside just before the crash occurred.
"I'm so glad I listened to my child and went outside, because normally we would be in the house. He loves mirrors, this is where he would have been playing. All of this would have been on my child," Bratchett said.
While the driver survived the crash, Bratchett and her son, though physically unharmed, are now without a home.
"I already battle and deal with a lot, losing my mom, raising a child with special needs by myself," Bratchett said. "So we just wanna be safe."
WATCH: Mother and autistic son left homeless after car crash into their Milwaukee home
The timing of the incident has made the situation even more difficult for the single mother.
"This is right after Mother's Day weekend, which is already hard having lost a mother. To know the reason was reckless driving is kinda devastating," Bratchett said.
Bratchett hopes her story will raise awareness about driving safety in the community.
"People need to understand vehicles are like a loaded gun, they're like a weapon when not used correctly. The house caught that car — when is it gonna stop?" Bratchett said.
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"I wanna tell what little of my story I have to tell, and I'm very passionate about driving safety. My message is do better, like do better!" Bratchett said.
A GoFundMe has been established to help Bratchett and her son rebuild their lives.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee Police are still searching for the driver responsible for the hit-and-run. Anyone with information is asked to call MPD at 414-935-7360 or Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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