Driving in Milwaukee has been the source of many headlines lately – and not for good reasons. The City of Milwaukee is experiencing serious problems with reckless driving throughout the city. Reckless driving has been defined as driving with willful disregard for safe operation of a motor vehicle. The city has been seeing many accidents caused by reckless driving that have had very serious consequences, including fatalities.

One of the recent incidents of reckless driving that resulted in a fatality occurred on October 5, 2019. Kenneth Matthews was at a four-way stop at 51st Street and Fairmount Avenue in Milwaukee. While at the stop, another driver t-boned Mr. Matthews. Mr. Matthews was rushed to Froedert Hospital, but tragically died from the injuries sustained in the accident.

The investigation following the crash determined that the driver who hit Mr. Matthews was speeding at the time of the crash. Additionally, the driver had a blood alcohol content of .18, which is more than twice the legal limit. The driver faces criminal charges for his involvement in the crash.

According to the Milwaukee Police Department, there have been 90 traffic fatalities since the beginning of 2018 in Milwaukee. This accident and others that have recently occurred across Milwaukee are causing people to push to end impaired and reckless driving in the city. One of those people advocating for an end to impaired and reckless driving is Mr. Matthews’s sister. Mr. Matthews’s sister states that real justice for the loss of her brother would be an end to reckless driving in the city. Mr. Matthews’s sister is sharing her pain from the loss of her brother in hopes that it will deter others from making from making the dangerous choice to drive recklessly.

We can help to combat dangerous driving by ensuring that we are practicing safe driving. Additionally, we should never drive when under the influence and never drive recklessly. By making safe driving choices, we can keep the roads safer for everyone.