Neighbors living near 12th & Concordia say drivers speed by "all day long"

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The eight-year-old boy who was struck by a vehicle and killed near 12th and Concordia on Sunday, March 30th has been identified as Jacari Maxwell. He was an MPS student.

The crash occurred around 6:45 p.m. on 12th Street between Concordia and Keefe. A memorial in the boy's honor sits at the scene.

FOX6 News saw several neighbors stopping by the scene to add to the memorial throughout the day on Monday.

"It could've been any one of our kids, you know what I mean? My kids play out here like anyone else's kids play out here. It could've been anybody," Derrick Thomas said.

According to police, a 58-year-old Milwaukee man was driving an SUV northbound on N. 12th Street when he struck the eight-year-old boy. Police say the boy ran into the street between parked cars.

"My daughter heard a noise from her bedroom. She ran to the front, said it sound like a kid got hit so we go out the front door -- it's a kid laying in the middle of the street, small kid," Thomas said.

The child died at the scene as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.

"Once they couldn't get no pulse, we knew he was gone. All we can do is pray," Sheila Jones, who lives in the area said.

The driver was arrested for Operating After Suspension - Causing Death.

The investigation will be reviewed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office in the coming days.

Neighbors are now focusing on working to prevent another tragedy.

"Especially when it comes to a kid -- because there's more kids around here than grown-ups, so the way they speed up and down this street doesn't make no sense. They need a speed bump," Jones said.

There is a speed bump a few blocks away -- near 14th and Burleigh, but neighbors say they want one on their street. They hope it will deter drivers FOX6 News saw speeding past the Jacari Maxwell's memorial on Monday.

"Regardless of whether that was the issue with this thing that happened, they just drive up and down here too fast all day long, regardless," Thomas said.

Maxwell's family has scheduled a vigil at the scene in the boy's honor -- set to begin around 7:00 p.m. Monday.


MONITOR FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this story.