MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) requested the City of Milwaukee to file a civil lawsuit against a habitual reckless driver.
The driver, LaShawn Thomas, has accumulated a total of 37 traffic-related citations in the City of Milwaukee since 2017. Thirteen have been received this year alone, MPD says. The cited offenses include reckless driving, failure to stop, unsafe passing, and speeding. Thomas was served with the summons and complaint over the weekend.
According to MPD, the lawsuit alleges Thomas' "ongoing negligent and reckless driving affects the quality of life and safety of our community and is a public nuisance." The lawsuit asks a Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge to find Thomas' dangerous driving a public nuisance and order injunctive and equitable relief. Failure to comply could result in seizing Thomas' vehicle or sentencing him to jail.
This is the second civil lawsuit filed against an "egregious reckless driver" in the City of Milwaukee, according to MPD. The first civil lawsuitwas issued in July against a reckless driver, identified as Anthony Szablewski, who amassed a total of 44 traffic-related citations in the city since 2017.
MPD has identified 20 offenders that have been ticketed more than 10 times in the last five years. The offenders have been notified that they are subjected to a future lawsuit if their reckless driving continues.
“MPD continues to work on a multifaceted approach to combat reckless driving and need assistance from everyone, including our community. The civil litigation approach against egregious reckless drivers is intended to send a clear message to all the chronic reckless drivers in Milwaukee that we take the safety of everyone on the roadways in our community very seriously," said Chief Jeffrey Norman.
