DELAFIELD, WI - Authorities with the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department (WCSD) stated that two 10-year-old boys were killed and four other people were injured after a driver fled from sheriff's deputies during a traffic stop.
FOX News reported that a deputy stopped the car for speeding and driving without license plates just before midnight on Wednesday, December 20th and that the driver sped away with five passengers in the vehicle. From there, a police pursuit involving two deputies began in Pewaukee and ended miles away when the car crashed and rolled over in Delafield.
The driver, a 29-year-old man, was wanted on a warrant for felony possession of a firearm and according to CBS News, he remains in critical but stable condition at a local hospital. The driver's girlfriend, also 29-years-old, was in the car at the time of the accident and is in critical but stable condition.
The two young boys who were killed in the crash were the driver's sons. The driver's niece, who is 14-years-old, was in the car and remains in critical condition. The youngest passenger in the car was the six-year-old daughter of the driver and his girlfriend. She was transported to a nearby hospital by Flight for Life and remains in critical condition.
During a news conference, Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson said, "The driver fled at such a high rate of speed that my deputies weren't even in visual contact during the crash." He added, "The fact that two children lost their lives this morning as a result of really bad decision making is really sad to all of us. This didn't need to happen. We struggle in our communities to make sure the roads are safe, that we're enforcing the law. We want to do everything we can to not have these situations take place."
Wisconsin State Patrol will be investigating the crash. Sheriff Severson said that the driver may face additional charges brought by state police, including counts of fleeing and eluding causing death and counts of reckless driving causing death.
The police response to the incident will be investigated by the Washington County Sheriff's Department because of a Wisconsin state statute requiring an independent law enforcement team investigate any incident where an individual dies as a result of "an action or an omission of a law enforcement officer."
During the news conference, Severson emphasized that he believed the deputies involved in the incident had done nothing wrong. He said, "We have no evidence to believe laws were violated ... It looks like they did their job right." He added, "When law enforcement officers get involved in pursuit it's because people choose to elude us. We don't take any actions that would provoke somebody to run from us."
Additional assistance was provided on scene by the Village of Hartland Police Department, City of Delafield Police Department, Village of Pewaukee Police Department, Village of Chenequa Police Department, Lake Country Fire and Rescue, Hartland Fire Department, and Flight for Life.
FOX News reported that a deputy stopped the car for speeding and driving without license plates just before midnight on Wednesday, December 20th and that the driver sped away with five passengers in the vehicle. From there, a police pursuit involving two deputies began in Pewaukee and ended miles away when the car crashed and rolled over in Delafield.
The driver, a 29-year-old man, was wanted on a warrant for felony possession of a firearm and according to CBS News, he remains in critical but stable condition at a local hospital. The driver's girlfriend, also 29-years-old, was in the car at the time of the accident and is in critical but stable condition.
The two young boys who were killed in the crash were the driver's sons. The driver's niece, who is 14-years-old, was in the car and remains in critical condition. The youngest passenger in the car was the six-year-old daughter of the driver and his girlfriend. She was transported to a nearby hospital by Flight for Life and remains in critical condition.
During a news conference, Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson said, "The driver fled at such a high rate of speed that my deputies weren't even in visual contact during the crash." He added, "The fact that two children lost their lives this morning as a result of really bad decision making is really sad to all of us. This didn't need to happen. We struggle in our communities to make sure the roads are safe, that we're enforcing the law. We want to do everything we can to not have these situations take place."
Wisconsin State Patrol will be investigating the crash. Sheriff Severson said that the driver may face additional charges brought by state police, including counts of fleeing and eluding causing death and counts of reckless driving causing death.
The police response to the incident will be investigated by the Washington County Sheriff's Department because of a Wisconsin state statute requiring an independent law enforcement team investigate any incident where an individual dies as a result of "an action or an omission of a law enforcement officer."
During the news conference, Severson emphasized that he believed the deputies involved in the incident had done nothing wrong. He said, "We have no evidence to believe laws were violated ... It looks like they did their job right." He added, "When law enforcement officers get involved in pursuit it's because people choose to elude us. We don't take any actions that would provoke somebody to run from us."
Additional assistance was provided on scene by the Village of Hartland Police Department, City of Delafield Police Department, Village of Pewaukee Police Department, Village of Chenequa Police Department, Lake Country Fire and Rescue, Hartland Fire Department, and Flight for Life.
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Comments
2023-12-26T11:04-0500 | Comment by: Laurence
How sad that two innocent children should be killed because of an irresponsible person.
2023-12-26T17:06-0500 | Comment by: Robert
Felony possession of a firearm...well, well, well, if they'd locked the dude up the first day those kids might still be alive. Seems rather strange that people appear in court with some serious charges against them and walk out that day to do more mischief or flee. God forbid we do the sensible thing.
2023-12-27T07:44-0500 | Comment by: Pat
This makes me sic, Did the cops not realize there where kids in the car? The pursuit should have stopped. This should never have happened.