Minivan hits Milwaukee boy, no criminal charges for driver
Minivan hits Milwaukee boy, no criminal charges
A man was arrested in connection to a crash that left a 15-year-old Milwaukee boy hurt while he was waiting for a bus. Now, that driver was released without charges.
MILWAUKEE - FOX6 brought you video last week of a child who was hit by a minivan while waiting for a bus, when the driver wasn't ticketed.
Since that story aired, he was arrested on pending charges.
Now, a lot has changed, leaving the family even more upset.
Minivan hits Milwaukee boy, family wants driver held accountable
A 15-year-old Milwaukee boy is recovering after a minivan hit him as he waited on a bus to school Monday. It happened at Appleton and Congress.
Teen hit near Appleton and Congress
The backstory:
"I don’t know what else to do," said Jennifer Arbuckle.
The boy's parents, Jennifer Arbuckle and her husband, David Stensen, say they never thought the last few weeks would turn out like this.
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"He could’ve lost his life easily," said Stensen. "You hurt a child. He could’ve been killed. The impact was severe."
Surveillance video from late October shows the 15-year-old waiting for a city bus on a sidewalk near Appleton and Congress.
Minivan hits boy waiting for bus
A 15-year-old Milwaukee boy is recovering after a minivan hit him as he waited on a bus to school Monday. It happened at Appleton and Congress.
As the light turns yellow, then red, a van nearly collides with another car, hitting a pole first, then the teenager and a utility line.
"No tickets, no jail time, nothing," said Arbuckle.
After FOX6's story aired, Milwaukee police reviewed the surveillance.
Driver arrested, then released
What we know:
They then arrested a 64-year-old man with pending reckless driving charges.
"We thought we would get some traction in the right direction," added Stensen.
Court records show Anthony Walker was being held on a $30,000 bond.
Anthony Walker
But then he was released—without any charges.
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DA's reasoning
What we know:
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office tells FOX6 that after reviewing the video, it appeared the van moved onto the sidewalk to avoid a crash with the car in front, adding prosecutors couldn't prove Walker was driving recklessly.
Milwaukee police say instead, Walker was ticketed for reckless driving.
When FOX6 called the number listed on the police report, the man who answered said we [FOX6] had the wrong person and hung up.
Now two parents are trying to figure out what's next.
Congress and Appleton
"It’s great that you guys are trying to curb the reckless driving, but it’s not going to help if we don’t hold these drivers accountable," added Arbuckle.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office says, based on the video, the other driver shouldn't have been going into the lane at the time of the crash.
Milwaukee police tell FOX6 they are not looking for the driver of that other car involved.
The Source: FOX6 previously reported on the crash and spoke to the parents of the child who was hit. Additional information was provided by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.