Milwaukee hit-and-run: Man seriously injured, woman charged

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee woman is charged in a hit-and-run that seriously injured a rideshare driver earlier this month.

In Court:

Prosecutors charged 24-year-old Jenni Fischer with hit-and-run and making fraudulent insurance claims. Court records show she's being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on $20,000 cash bond.

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Van Buren and Juneau

The backstory:

The hit-and-run happened on the night of Dec. 1. When police got to the scene near Van Buren and Juneau, the 26-year-old victim was unconscious and had severe head trauma. He was taken to a hospital.

As of Dec. 10, court filings said the victim's family told police that the victim was in a coma and his condition was worsening. He had two surgeries, one of which removed part of his skull, to relieve swelling and pressure on his brain.

A criminal complaint said the victim's white Nissan was parked on Van Buren Street and had severe damage – including a "mangled and crushed" driver's door – consistent with having been "sideswiped."

There were several plastic vehicle parts in the street that weren't from the Nissan. Based on that debris, police identified a 2017-2020 Jeep Compass as a suspect vehicle in the hit-and-run.

Surveillance video

Caught On Camera:

Surveillance video from a nearby building showed the victim's Nissan parked facing southbound on the west side of Van Buren Street. The hazard lights came on, the victim got out of the driver's seat, and a passenger got out of the backseat. They walked to the trunk and grabbed luggage. 

At that point, court filings said an SUV was seen speeding southbound on Van Buren with no taillights on. The SUV struck the victim and the Nissan and kept driving until it was out of view of the camera. The passenger told police the victim was his rideshare driver.

Prosecutors said video from before the crash captured the same Jeep driving with no front-end damage. Based on available surveillance footage from the area, investigators determined the Jeep likely drove into an enclosed area shortly after the crash. 

Fraudulent insurance claim, police report

Dig deeper:

Police reached out to the National Insurance Crime Bureau for a list of insurance claims for 2017-2025 Jeep Compasses in Wisconsin and Illinois. Court filings said they found a claim on a 2018 Jeep Compass that was made on Dec. 3 – two days after the crash – and got a vehicle identification number.

Investigators checked Wisconsin Department of Transportation records for the VIN, which prosecutors said revealed Fischer was one of the Jeep's registered owners. Records listed her address as being just a few blocks from the hit-and-run crash scene, "consistent with why the suspect Jeep is not seen on security camera further south on Van Buren after the crash." 

A National Insurance Crime Bureau special agent also provided a Milwaukee Police Department report number that was associated with the insurance claim to support the damage to the Jeep.

Police checked department records for that report, which was filed using the Citizen Online Reporting site. The site allows citizens to report certain crimes – like burglary, theft or vandalism of less than $2,500 – but does not allow for the reporting of motor vehicle collisions.

Court filings said the police report listed Fischer's name, address, cellphone number and more. It was submitted on Dec. 2 – the day after the crash, but one day before the insurance claim was filed – "consistent with the false police report being used to both avoid responsibility for the crash as well as file a false insurance claim."

In the police report, the complaint said Fischer wrote: "I was at work and when I left and got to my car the front right side was smashed. windshield crashed and mirrior [sic] broken." Under the value tab, she put $2,500 and under property she wrote "my literal car" – describing it as a gray 2018 Jeep Compass with damage to its right side.

Police noted all the streets the suspect's Jeep was seen driving on were two-way streets, meaning the Jeep would not have its right side exposed to the street to be damaged in a crash. However, right-side damage would be consistent with the crash that seriously injured the victim.

Identifying the suspect

Dig deeper:

The complaint said surveillance video from Fischer's address showed she entered an underground parking structure immediately after the crash, and her Jeep had significant damage to the front passenger-side corner. The video clearly showed the driver, who was the only person in the vehicle.

Court filings said additional video from the building showed the driver getting out of the Jeep and having difficulty walking, her body bumping into both sides of a staircase. She also leaned against a wall while waiting for an elevator. 

The next morning, just over two hours before the false police report was filed electronically, prosecutors said the same woman was seen walking to the parking garage – and her walking was "noticeably different than the previous footage." She then got into the damaged Jeep.

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On Dec. 6, police went to a New Berlin home that was the listed address for a co-owner of the Jeep. The complaint said a resident there told police that Fischer had been in a crash and had filed a police report. The Jeep was found in a barn on the property with the same damage as the one seen in the apartment surveillance.

Police noted there was white paint on the Jeep's passenger side, per the complaint, that was "consistent with paint transfer" from the victim's Nissan. Police towed the Jeep as evidence and compared it to the broken vehicle parts recovered at the crash scene – determining they were a match.

Prosecutors said the New Berlin residents also identified Fischer and the Jeep from surveillance images. Police arrested Fischer at that New Berlin home on Dec. 7.

Crime and Public SafetyMilwaukeeNews