Milwaukee man charged in crash that killed 63-year-old woman near 68th and Hampton
CBS 58 MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — A 34-year-old Milwaukee man has been charged in connection with a Sept. 16 crash that killed a 63-year-old woman near North 68th Street and West Hampton Avenue.
Christopher J. McCallum is charged with second-degree reckless homicide, homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and operating while intoxicated causing injury.
If convicted on all three charges, McCallum could face more than 50 years in prison.
According to a criminal complaint, Milwaukee police responded to the crash shortly after 7:30 p.m. and found two vehicles with extensive damage.
The front-seat passenger in one of the vehicles, identified as 63-year-old Sheila Washington, was found without a pulse and was not breathing. First responders attempted life-saving measures, but Washington was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy later determined she died from multiple blunt force injuries.
The driver of the vehicle Washington was riding in was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive.
Investigators said McCallum told police he had been traveling east on West Hampton Avenue when he approached a flashing red traffic signal at North 68th Street.
According to the complaint, McCallum admitted he did not stop at the flashing red signal before continuing through the intersection, where his vehicle collided with the other vehicle.
Police said the crash also caused significant damage to a traffic signal at the intersection.
Officers who spoke with McCallum reported smelling a strong odor of alcohol and said his speech appeared slurred. Investigators also described his eyes as bloodshot and glassy and said he was not speaking in complete sentences.
When asked whether he had been drinking, McCallum allegedly responded that he "might have been drinking, but no," according to the complaint.
McCallum also reportedly told investigators he had smoked marijuana about an hour before the crash.
Christopher McCallum
Police conducted standardized field sobriety tests and reported observing multiple signs of impairment.
A preliminary breath test showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16, according to the complaint.
McCallum was arrested and taken to a hospital for medical clearance and a blood draw. Prosecutors said subsequent testing showed a blood alcohol concentration of approximately 0.19, more than twice Wisconsin's legal limit for most drivers.
Investigators also downloaded data from McCallum's vehicle, which the complaint says showed the vehicle traveling approximately 85 mph during the five seconds leading up to the crash.
The data showed the vehicle traveling about 57 mph at the beginning of the recorded crash event, according to prosecutors.
The driver of the other vehicle told investigators Washington was his longtime girlfriend. He said he was attempting to turn left to travel south on North 68th Street when McCallum's vehicle struck them.
The driver told police he did not see McCallum's vehicle before the impact.
McCallum made his initial court appearance Wednesday, when a judge set his cash bond at $100,000.
He is scheduled to return to court Sept. 30 for a preliminary hearing.
