A Milwaukee man has been charged over a crash that killed a 63-year-old woman after prosecutors alleged he drove through a flashing red light while intoxicated and travelling at more than twice the speed limit.
Christopher McCallum, 34, faces charges of second-degree reckless homicide, homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and operating while intoxicated causing injury following the collision near North 68th Street and West Hampton Avenue on September 16.
Sheila Washington, who was travelling in a Toyota Camry, was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy found that she died from multiple blunt-force injuries.
Milwaukee fatal crash investigation
Milwaukee police were called to the junction at about 7.35pm and found the Camry and a Chevrolet Silverado with disabling damage. Washington was the front passenger in the Toyota, while its 70-year-old driver was taken to hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.
McCallum told investigators he had been driving east on Hampton Avenue when he saw a flashing red signal at the intersection. He allegedly admitted that he did not stop before colliding with the Toyota.
Officers reported detecting a strong smell of alcohol, along with slurred speech and bloodshot, glassy eyes. According to the criminal complaint, McCallum initially said he “might have been drinking, but no”, before telling police that he had smoked marijuana about an hour earlier.
A preliminary breath test recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16. Prosecutors later said a blood test taken after McCallum was taken to hospital showed a level of about 0.19.
Data recovered from the Silverado’s event recorder indicated that it had been travelling at about 85mph during the five seconds before the crash. At the start of the recorded collision, its speed was about 57mph, while the limit on that section of Hampton Avenue is 30mph.
The driver of the Toyota told investigators that Washington was his longtime girlfriend and that he had been attempting to turn left towards North 68th Street when the Silverado struck them.
McCallum court proceedings
McCallum made his first court appearance on September 23, when a judge set cash bail at $100,000. If convicted on all three charges, he could face more than 50 years in prison.
He appeared again on September 30 for a preliminary hearing, but the case was adjourned for an indigency hearing. That hearing is scheduled for October 15.
