Pregnant woman loses unborn child in crash involving driver fleeing from police

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A pregnant woman lost her baby in a crash involving a fleeing suspect near 27th and Highland in Milwaukee Monday, June 1. 

Police say just before 6 p.m., officers were pursuing a reckless driver wanted for domestic violence, and approximately three minutes into the chase, the fleeing vehicle lost control and crashed with another vehicle occupied by a 25-year-old Milwaukee woman, who was approximately six months pregnant. 

“This is an individual who had no respect for the law,” Milwaukee Alderman Michael Murphy said.

The woman had to be extricated from the vehicle and sustained serious injuries. A 56-year-old woman, 56-year-old woman, a 26-year-old man and a 5-year-old child that were occupants of the vehicle that was struck, sustained non-life threatening injuries. All were transported to a local hospital for treatment. 

Murphy said the police were right to chase the suspect.

“It was an individual as I understand it, who was involved in a domestic violence incident, so it was a serious felony. And this individual put everyone’s life in harms way by driving recklessly.”

Murphy heads the city’s reckless driving task force, which has spent millions of dollars, come up with education programs and is working on several engineering proposals like narrowing streets. But he says that kind of driver is difficult to stop.

“I’m not sure that he would care that I did a prevention education, or put in an engineering solution. This is an individual that has no respect for anyone’s wellbeing but their own.”

The suspect, a 40-year-old man, sustained non-life threatening injuries. He is in police custody and was transported to a local hospital for medical clearance. Criminal charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office in the upcoming days.