Fatal ATV crash, Milwaukee man sentenced to probation
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man who was driving without a valid license and collided with an ATV on the city's north side, killing two people, has been sentenced to probation.
In Court:
Jaden Brown-Smith, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly operating without a valid license (causing death), and a second count of the same offense was dismissed as part of a plea deal.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Milwaukee County Judge David Swanson initially sentenced Brown-Smith to prison, but stayed that sentence and instead placed him on three years' probation. The court also ordered that Brown-Smith's driving privileges be revoked for six months.
Jaden Brown-Smith
Car vs. ATV crash
The backstory:
The crash happened just after midnight on Aug. 30, 2025. Police arrived to find paramedics treating two victims, identified as Victor Ramos and Brittney Harshman, at the scene near 28th and Concordia. Both Ramos and Harshman ultimately died from their injuries.
A criminal complaint said investigators found a black Chevrolet and a red ATV, both with damage to their front ends. There was also "red paint transfer" on the Chevrolet, "consistent with colliding with the red ATV."
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
ATVs are not legal on Milwaukee streets.
What they're saying:
An officer spoke to Brown-Smith at the scene, per the complaint, who identified himself as the driver of the Chevrolet. He claimed he had just completed a DoorDash delivery and was driving westbound on Concordia Avenue when he saw a red vehicle speed out of an alley between 28th Street and 29th Street. He said he tried to swerve out of the way, but they crashed onto the sidewalk.
Featured
Milwaukee hit-and-run; pedestrian killed, man charged
A Milwaukee man is accused of hitting Marshall Hill with his car, killing him, before fleeing the scene near Hopkins and Silver Spring last week.
After the crash, court filings said Brown-Smith said he realized he'd hit an ATV and saw two people unconscious on the ground. He also said he did not have a driver's license and had been cited for driving without a license in the past.
The complaint states a review of Wisconsin Department of Transportation records showed Brown-Smith has never had a driver's license. He was cited on back-to-back days in May 2025, first for speeding and then for a crash.
New charges
Dig deeper:
Court records show prosecutors later charged Brown-Smith with new crimes that happened while he was out on a $25,000 signature bond in the fatal crash case.
Prosecutors accused him of third-degree sexual assault, strangulation and suffocation and more tied to an incident that happened in January 2026. He ultimately pleaded guilty to fourth-degree sexual assault and strangulation and suffocation as part of a plea deal, and other charges were dropped.
Swanson again stayed a prison sentence for Brown-Smith, placing him on three years' probation concurrent with his sentence for the crash.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.