Morse Middle School students attend creative play to curb reckless driving
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A wild ride in a stolen Kia outside a Milwaukee middle school ended with a hard crash into the back of a school bus, injuries, and arrests. Thursday, May 18, school administrators hoping to make a difference, allowed for a school assembly aimed at changing the minds of would-be thieves.
Home surveillance caught a group of teens running away after a horrific crash at Morse Middle School on May 1. Thursday, Morse students were invited to see a play put on by their peers. It focused on the consequences of stealing cars and reckless driving.
"Two people die in this play. One of them died from a car accident, the other got shot from stealing somebody's Kia," said Rev. Robin Hood, founder of Men Opposed to Violence Everywhere.
Rev. Robin Hood is a community activist trying to combat reckless driving in Chicago, but after the crash at his grandson's school in Milwaukee, the Chicago pastor wanted to help here.
"The question I asked the kids today, how many of them wanted to live a long life? Everybody in that room raised they're hand," said Rev. Hood.
In a statement, Milwaukee Public Schools said:
"MPS is taking proactive measures to keep our sites safe while reckless driving continues to be an issue in the community. This school year, MPS has placed hundreds of concrete bollards at our buildings and added other measures like fence posts, barricades, and cameras to our properties. We have also been actively working with representatives from the city and public safety partners to see how we can work together to identify areas that can be mitigated. While we are doing everything we can to enhance safety at our sites, we hope members of the community can understand the full impact of this issue. Reckless driving is dangerous, and we must work together to share this message with students. Adults can help by talking to children about safe driving and the consequences regarding dangerous behavior."
"You know you can't trust to send your kids to school if things are gonna happen like right here near a middle school, how do you get past that?" said Julie Krezman, Morse student grandparent.
Compared with last year's numbers for March and April, Milwaukee's seeing less stolen vehicles overall, but a jump in stolen Kias and Hyundais. This crash sent a teen in the stolen Kia to the hospital with a crushed skull, and a number of arrests.
"But they go to jail and they get right up, so when they get out, they do it again. If there's no consequences from it, what's stopping them from consequently doing it?" said Stackhouse.
Stackhouse says lyrics kids listen to play a big role. A Milwaukee community activist led the charge on a music video also going after the reckless driving issue.
Rev. Hood intends to take his message to other Milwaukee public schools and continue to press Kia and Hyundai to do a recall and get the easy-to-steal models off the streets.