Racine hit-and-run crash; 66-year-old man charged
Joaquin Raigoza
RACINE, Wis. - A 66-year-old Racine man is charged in connection with a hit-and-run crash that happened on Saturday, Nov. 11. The accused is Joaquin Raigoza – and he faces a single charge of hit-and-run great bodily harm.
According to the criminal complaint, Racine police were dispatched to a hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian near Douglas Avenue and Layard Avenue late on Saturday, Nov. 11. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a woman on the ground with two individuals trying to help her.
One of the people on the scene told police she was walking with the victim -- going from one bar to another. As they were walking across Douglas Avenue, they saw a vehicle speeding southbound on Douglas -- and the victim was struck. The complaint says the "suspect vehicle fled southbound on Douglas Avenue at a high rate of speed."
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The victim was taken to a hospital and later flown by Flight For Life to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. The woman suffered multiple serious injuries including a broken pelvis, skull fractures and a broken neck, the complaint says.
Hit-and-run crash in Racine (Credit: Nalan Media)
Camera footage of the hit-and-run crash was retrieved from a nearby bar. Investigators used the video to identify a white sedan as the vehicle involved. The camera also captured the license plate of the vehicle.
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Later, police went to the address registered to the car -- when they located a white car with damage. Raigoza was questioned by police. He told police "they were too close and he couldn't hit the brakes," the complaint says. "All he heard was a 'boom' and he used his hands and arms to throw them up in the air as he said 'boom," the complaint says.
Hit-and-run crash in Racine (Credit: Nalan Media)
Raigoza made his initial appearance in Racine County court on Monday, Nov. 13. Cash bond was set at $2,500 -- and the defendant was placed on house arrest with GPS monitoring.