on January 11th 2022 officers from the
West alas Police Department in Wisconsin
respond to a deadly emergency officers
quickly arrive on the scene
administering first aid and redirecting
traffic while firefighter EMTs and an
ambulance rush to the
scene 325 dispatch go ahead I'm sorry 23
I got Lanes two and three shut down shut
down all North bom Lanes she awake are
he
awake I tried the police who found her
shut down all North
L did you see what
[Applause]
happened what kind of car was it like a
Toyota it was a small car what car like
gr sedan car versus pedestrian gray
color I'll try to get info I got to
check the status of uh the victim here
hey want to direct all these cars so it
was a great car or an SUV no there a
great car in right lane and then it hit
her kind of
stop we should try to turn her hold on a
second here I to get gloves
on are you awake are you a nurse yeah
okay I can kind of
tell Mike let's isolate her she's a wit
right up here see itone you callic
no it kept going get some SPS up here
statement pleas traumatic P&B advice
fire all right Mike we got to hold C
spine and we got a roller all right can
we do that right
now just hold it like this I'm going to
roll towards me so I can do CPR ready y
1 2
3 um I called 911 but I wasn't I didn't
see what happened I work right across
the street so do I need to wait for any
reason do you think did you see the car
or anything I didn't no I just saw her
laying on the ground so I pulled into I
work right here and called 911 since you
called 911 let me get your name s and
you did you hear anything you just no
just saw it I pulled in and call 911
that was it did you have any contact
with her or anything no not with anybody
okay if you didn't see anything else you
can go okay thank you for the call you
got a
shears got a
knife no no
P&B you feel one no I don't gra the
camera to start taking this quick
right here no it's got to stay there we
need to step up on
the as one officer performed CPR on the
victim other officers begin questioning
Witnesses eyewitness reports can quickly
deteriorate soon after an event has
occurred so officers need to start
asking questions as soon as possible you
got a camera B no I grab one please who
saw it I was with her we just got off
the bus we on our way to work I made it
across the street okay let's go over
here okay cuz they need the scene we
getting off the bus across the street
the cars was just coming faster when
they see they coming across the street I
made it to the sidewalk and I turned
around and see what shoot behind me I
just see the car hit her she was right
here and she flew from right here all
the way down there and the car just kept
going witnessed uh struck by a sedan
that fled no credit Paul she was found
face down we'll just pick her up I found
face down no credit pauled CPR yes I
did yep let me know when you guys are
ready ready 1 two 2 3
you guys got it 25 I was doing CPR just
turn it over the it's your first name
does she have a bag or anything with her
her black purse is right there but
that's my Store bag with my food stuff
inside okay it looks like they're
getting her ID out of the
purse yeah please not yet
no what' you see ma'am so I was driving
in the Middle Lane and there in front of
me I saw a
black got where was she moving she was
crossing the street from that way to
this way from the Medan correct I didn't
know anyone I didn't see anybody else
that car like slammed on their brakes I
saw the B fly in the air I thought they
just hit like garbage or something and
then they just zoomed off and then I
pulled over when I realized she was
standing over her body what happened
what' you see I saw a woman and it
looked like she was picking up her bag
and I look closer and it was a person so
I excuse my my friend I pulled up here
and pulled over I was just trying to
help check for a pulse check if she was
moving anything with the woman that was
on the gr did you see what actually
happened I did not see actually what
happened so you didn't see a car take
off or nothing like that I didn't see
any Vehicles there was probably 8 to 15
Vehicles total around here I didn't see
any of them all right hang tight let me
see if I can get you out of here I know
you're cold okay you get a good
statement from her you can get out of
here if she didn't see nothing okay all
right cool I just wanted to check before
all right real quick and then you can
get out of here the lady that was on the
ground bleeding obviously wasn't
conscious nothing like that didn't say
anything NOP did you hear any like
gurgling or anything I could there was
so much commotion I just wanted to check
for a pulse to make sure she was did you
find a pulse on her I did not 911 wanted
us to flip her and that's when the two
medical professionals I believe it was a
nurse and then another woman pulled up
and they hand started handling the
patient and I was still dealing with the
bystander who was with her and trying to
keep her calm we stopped
okay did you have any contact with her
like touch her yeah yeah we both f for
pulses see her laying on the ground you
check for p there's no Poli you come up
here on the sidewalk and then police
arrive on the phone with 911 the
responder wanted us to flip her under
her back check then check Paul start CPR
possible at that time that's Poli before
we so did you start CPR at all started
CPR do you remember what boss you were
on the 28th it should be coming back
this way so in the midle lane you think
that's where
[Applause]
I made it to the sidewalk first and when
I turned around she I just heard like ah
and when I heard her ah the car just hit
her like boom and she flew right there
what kind of car was in front of you it
was like a I I believe from the back it
was a Camry it was gray it was not an
SUV it was a
smaller compact car was there any
vehicle Lane one which would be the lane
that's closest to the median I don't
remember okay and why do you think it
was a car in the far right lane hater
because they went stopped and
then was it dirty or clean dirty okay
you remember was there any decals on it
or no I don't know I don't believe so
did you see the great Camry slam on its
braks yes and that happened before after
it you saw the purse flight in the air
it was before I heard the I heard a
noise that car stopped and then I saw
that what did you it was like a thud I
thought they hit garbage I thought when
I saw the one woman cry I thought maybe
she dropped something and they had hit
it I didn't even know there was another
person
here do y'all know what hosit I don't
know of a most likely trat her expain to
her dad okay so could you see traffic
coming over the hill when you guys were
crossing nobody blew nobody blew they
just kept going okay cuz this lady right
here with the red this is her truck she
was on side of the car when it hit hit
her she the only one stopped okay you
close friends with her mhm she was
dropped off by her mother at the bus
where I was at so she met me there so
she got a ride there and she got on the
bus to 28 were you two the only ones
that hopped off M just prior to the
thought you saw that other lady walking
all the yeah she was like kind of
jogging not like sprinting but running
to cross the street I saw her she hit
the snow and you think it's a Cameron
now are you sure or you just guessing I
don't know cars like amazingly but if I
had to put money on I would say it was a
camera from the back possible striking
vehicle is a dirty gray the camera not
on a cam pretty confident
cam 731 part sun confirm
at did anybody get out of that car no
did you hear anybody say are you okay or
anything like that no good you were the
only one in your car yes okay all right
I think everybody's spoken to so I'm
going to go back to my car I'm cold it's
no surprise that Witnesses and officers
are looking for warmth according to
weather records the temperature at this
time in place was recorded to be 4° F or
roughly -16° C I know this is It's
probably hard to answer was she
breathing or saying anything no I was I
was I touched her side I didn't see her
like breae or anything and I seen the
blood that was coming from her head
there's parts of a toil got the EM the
to you want to go and where do you think
the car hit her I honestly don't know I
didn't even see her at all you think the
ambulance is taking off soon I don't I
mean do what they can here but I don't
think they're going to move here she was
laid yep she was laid down and I just
from did you guys do her at all no two
other ladies out here with me Caucasian
ladies okay and they seen that I
couldn't talk to the police so they took
the phone and they was talking yeah and
they was talking to him for
me well they're most likely providing
her medical attention in there before
they get going just walk the East Side
looking for cameras can I throw some
tape yeah I can I can do that do that
sure yellowe H hurry up now that other
officials are on the scene and are in
charge of the victim officers Co
ordinate to find any possible Street or
business security cameras in the area to
collect his evidence and hopefully
identify the fleeing
vehicle oh thank God it's so cold out
there I can't F my
fingers Holy balls um cameras does
anybody here know how to work cameras
yeah that would catch anything out there
highly doubt that here that would look
at him anyways but I don't think we have
a camera that points out there but I
could be wrong this additional witness
turned around to share her information
after driving past the incident of all
the witnesses she seems to be the only
one who witnessed the accident in its
entirety
sorry are you call 106 so
I hour I driving to work gra okay I was
going slower cuz this morning I saw two
people run across the Street I think I
saw one cross and the other one some I
don't even know what kind of car hit it
I wonder if the bu they were on 20 they
were on 28 yeah it's it's uh colder than
diggers do this for sure how many cars
are out there in this
accident uh no cars in the accident oh
that's a problem I saw one make it
across the street and I honestly didn't
know there was another person till they
flipped up in the air okay and the car
hit him I'm sorry that's fine do you
know what kind of car it was no no okay
um I was were you were you I was right
behind it the bus has cameras going on
they do they have all they have 28 yeah
they have all
360 the the route 28 I don't know about
the bus number they just got off a bus
so a bu have it can you call Transit I
didn't know a person got hit I saw
something and I'm like that couldn't
have been there and I went around I went
that is I know all right I'm sorry is
this your information this is my
information and I was so upset I'm like
I I cannot believe I just saw what I saw
all right what Lane were you in um
middle the middle Lane okay Middle Lane
just give me a minute to feel my
fingers there's hot water in the faucet
in the bathroom you want to run under
hot water faucet right there too then
you hear me
screaming can you describe the the
person you can't I can't I can't even I
can't believe what I saw I'm sorry oh
that's fine to get hit or
something she can't tell you guys come
on that's why I said like shut up early
morning I'm used to Deer yeah so I'm
always watching for for movement uhhuh
could you hear the car coming or did you
just hear did you just
turn when I heard her like ah I she car
like boom and it hit her she flew down
there if it was a person that's like the
third
people like two years I I still can't
believe it happened okay I didn't really
realized it was a person until I went
around and I went no
really I'm sorry no it's it's all right
I I can't
even it was a van or anything I wasn't
paying attention to the vehicle one got
across I didn't even know there was a
second person till the vehicle
hits really
what all right I'm going to get out of
here and deal with my cold hands thanks
guys uh somebody probably call about
wait H US Marshal you can tell me what's
going on
can't and this is this is I'm not
accusing this is again just for R cuz we
like gather all this information iend up
contact with her just today did she
appear impaired either drinking or pill
nothing okay like I said I'm not
accusing she has lupus so she she has
lus okay okay like I said I'm not
accusing her of anything it's and just
to clarify you didn't hit her right you
didn't hit you didn't hit somebody or
you didn't hit CR okay but I did witness
yeah you can call it call it a day go to
work okay okay all right are they okay
uh I'm not sure I'm not down there I'm
just trying to get video trying to see
if I see any cameras okay okay um
but they probably got hit in the middle
right around the middle Lane Middle Lane
you have a good it's going to be okay
okay I know I'm sorry I I I have never I
have seen deer hit and go flying yeah
but never ever anything like that before
I it's all right take care it wouldn't
take long for the victim's family to
arrive on
scene yeah that's our uncle that's the
owner yeah just parking the uh the
dealership across the street yeah some
yeah if he if he parks there someone to
walk over something you related to miss
haris I'm I'm like I'm like an uncle
like ancle we own this but I'm like
she been working here me me her father's
real best friends all right but do you
think she's about 20 she's 20 okay
she'll make it said they're they're
giving her medical attention right now I
haven't talked with anyone I haven't had
any contact with her so I can't I can't
give you an update do you know about how
far dad he say he say he a too far for
think about 19
old
right hold on okay what what's your name
sir my name is Don CH can you come on
with the information sir okay what's
your daughter's name my daughter is in
the ambulance okay what's her sir we
just have to confirm her information uh
Denisha haris man okay what's her
birthday she uh
uh okay so she's in the back of the
ambulance right now and I I'm sorry to
for she's F away no man no man man come
on please please no
no no come on
man it's wrong man come on they working
on her
they oh my God oh my God
[Applause]
what's his
[Applause]
name I'm very very sorry okay there
anything we can do for you right
now sir would you like a chaplain to
come out here sir would you like to
speak to a
chap this tragic event is unfortunately
not all that uncommon in the United
States according to reports and studies
conducted by the Governor's Highway
Safety Association or GHSA roughly 20
pedestrians are struck and killed by
Vehicles every day in the United States
in 2022 the Year this incident took
place it is estimated that over 7,500
pedestrians were killed which was a
40-year high a nearly 20% increase
compared to 2019 the combination of less
vehicles on the road and a steep drop in
traffic enforcement led to an increase
of speeding and impaired drivers another
factor that affected this particular
case is the lack of pedestrian
infrastructure in the US like sidewalks
cross walks and adequate lighting us
drivers also tend to drive larger
Vehicles which lowers the survival rate
of pedestrians who are struck the Silver
Lining to these statistics is that there
appears to be a decline in pedestrian
deaths in 2023 so sir at this point
we're still trying to investigate how
this incident occurred um does she live
with you currently
no she lives with her mom do you know
what time she usually leaves her work at
620 at 622 she heard her yelling and the
car hit her just kept
okay hey we got I got a positive ID for
okay come on what's your phone
number 414 uh-huh
388 okay and obviously were you on you
were on the phone with her mother is
that correct yes okay uh do you know if
she's on her way out here or oh I guess
assum she can she was with uh school you
know school bus driver so she couldn't
just leave kids she's in the ambulance
we're going to have the Milwaukee County
Medical Examiner office come out
here
unfortunately um the fire department
worked on her for about 45 minutes and
unfortunately um her injuries were too
traumatic um where they were unable to
um perform any life saving measures on
her
somebody my daughter dead obviously this
is a extremely traumatic incident and uh
nobody should have to go through
something like this oh my
God question yes I had to park over here
cuz the other cop wouldn't let me in
over there I work right here at impr is
there a way to turn in or I have to walk
in no you got to walk in sorry it's it's
all be shut down for a while all right I
appreciate okay to walk once I get FR of
my building yeah just just watch where
where you're walking okay um my car over
I think you if that's your friend right
yeah okay how about we go and um we'll
go hang out with your friend you can be
with him cuz obviously you need you know
somebody to talk to right now and I
think that hanging out with somebody
that you know and is a friend of yours
would probably be the best thing at this
point I got his info he's going to I'm
going to have him just go across the
street and hang out with Buddy his buddy
wait for the Emy cuz the EM is going to
probably want to come talk to him so
yeah you guys got a car coming your way
oh
man information I get
it all right
sir just watch your
step shortly after the victim's apparent
grandfather arrives on scene it appears
he is a commercial truck driver who was
seemingly in the middle of a delivery
when he received the horrific news about
his granddaughter I need to know where
my grand bab is I need to know where my
Grandad is you don't have that
information we got to talk to supervis
is my
daughter it's not good time right
now we will talk you but can't park
right here I need know where my people I
need know
now sir this is an active crime seat we
can't have you Crossing okay who who are
you here to get in contact
with a grandbaby that just got hit I
need to my daughter just called me I
need to know where is my grandbaby
okay like I said we we're willing to
speak with you but we can't have you
park in your vehicle right here youri I
can't drive right now you right here
unfortunately so you more worried about
this [ __ ] truck I don't want
another accident okay unfortunately I
need to tell me where is my grand baby
I'll explain that to you I need to know
where is my grandaughter you if you move
your semi you you're not going to
negotiate with me about my granddaughter
you understand that I will help do not
going to negotiate with me I will help
you if help us no I need to know where's
my grandbaby I need to know where's my
grandbaby get back in the truck get back
in the truck you better you put me
mother when you're ready to talk to a
like adult I'll talk I'm asking you a
question and I will explain you her
father is over there and he can explain
something you can't park your truck in
this plane right here you're going to
cause another accident all these mother
lights out here it doesn't matter they
going sh you want me to you want me to
call your I don't give a
at call them I give you the number dad
Caro I'll go get come here you going
tell me where my granddaughter at I
won't give a [ __ ] about that
[ __ ]
truck you take that truck they can do
whatever the they want to do with it
carry
out where's my
granddaughter where is the mother
hit get the out of here oh don't tell me
that bull don't tell me that
bullsh God
it you son of a In This Moment an
officer positions his Cruiser behind the
semi to prevent it from being struck oh
you y I can tell you that y'all better
mother hit my grand oh y'all will be out
here kid you best
mother
oh your my
car y where's Thea
at Chris is just mapping the parts and
then they got to picture up and we're
done all right all right and you guys
every morning you guys cross from there
okay that's what I was telling her my my
boss like we make it across the street
every time we come across the street I
don't know what was different about
today okay all right for the car not to
stop you had to been doing something
wrong yeah yeah he's probably going way
too fast so if you guys were just
walking which sounds like you were that
like I said that helps us determine that
this guy was probably who guy girl
whoever was just going way too fast
obviously do you have any questions for
me no I know you got yeah I know you got
to your head's probably just racing like
crazy we're going to investigate this as
far as we can until we find the vehicle
okay make it I I'll let dad speak with
you about that he has all the info okay
we did the best we could we need a
street sweeper to come through here
still a little bit of glass there's also
some pry needs to be picked up based off
of car pieces found at the scene and
eyewitness statements officers believe
at this point that they are looking for
a gray or dark gray Toyota Corolla which
likely had prior damage due to zip ties
also being found on scene you can see
they already got zip ties so invol
another crash be my guess all right so
Toyota Corolla dark color like a
charcoal gray without a grill it's the
lower por of the grill though um I know
what you're talking about after the
evidence was photographed and documented
officers begin cleaning the roads while
other officers travel down the road to
inquire about security camera footage
where the vehicle potentially traveled
through from definitely goes east from
one6 uh and then at that point we lose
it okay probably check Poor Richards cuz
it turns East on Oklahoma there's a
fluid Trail if you want to try there you
can put me on Fallout for the call at po
Richards obtaining this footage may lead
to where the perpetrator lives or or
better yet may have clearly captured the
license plate heavily reducing the
suspect list we had a crash down here
can I look at your video to see if it
recorded the the car this is a good view
so this is Camera 12 I better take notes
here you have really good videos here
this is really good Clarity the dogged
work of Patrol officers and detectives
allows them to continue to track the
vehicle find distinguishing features and
ultimately develop a suspect profile
from there they identified an individual
known to them as Martin AEL Martinez
Rodriguez when they discovered the
vehicle detectives noted there was a
dent in the hood of the vehicle along
with severe damage on the front end
which was consistent with a vehicle
striking a person there was also blue
tape around the windshield indicating it
had just been replaced this arrest
footage of the suspect takes place
roughly 16 hours after the incident
occurred get the
TV I was trying to pass you down real
quick boss or search real Qui make sure
you got anything nothing going to stick
me P me
Bazookas Bazookas all right we head out
this
way
left go on this squad over here on this
side
throughout the 15-minute ride to the
jail not a single word was exchanged
between Martin and the officer reports
later indicate that Martin admitted that
he had hit something but he claimed that
he didn't know what it was he also said
he didn't stop because he quote had a
lot of money on him and didn't want to
answer questions while reports indicate
Martin originally pled not guilty
roughly 7 months later on August 7th
2022 Martin changed his plea to guilty
for the felony charge of a hit and run
resulting in death he was sentenced 8
years in prison with 231 days of credit
along with four years of extended
supervision he will also have his
license revoked for 5 years upon release
and will have to pay a restitution to
the crime victim compensation fund to
the tune of roughly
$15,400 if his total prison sentence is
served he will not get out of prison
until 2030 get on come on Jesus what
open up
on through now but have some common
sense please the streets been locked off
for multiple hours Let's go drive behind
the scenes at Midwest safety we have our
video editor and researcher Harrison I
also want to introduce John are we
retired Philly police officer with 25
years experience numerous commendations
hundreds of arrests and a top shooter
during his tenure John was assigned
several high crime details and special
assignments here's John and Harrison
going a little more in depth on this
video Let's just jump right into this uh
this this tragic video Is An Occurrence
that happens almost every hour in the
United States we hope that detailing the
specific occurrences in a case like this
brings a more realistic burden behind
the numbers of these statistics showing
just how devastating a situation like
this really is not just to the victims
but their friends and families as well
so the first question I have for you
John is you hear the urgent call being
dispatched over the radio you're hearing
CPR in progress what is going through
your head in these moments how do you
handle experiencing repeated traumas
like this at
work well for me when I'm rolling up to
a situation like this you know you hear
cprs being administered and you know my
anxiety is going up you don't know what
you're rolling up on you know and it
could potentially you know go um South
really quick so for me it's very
traumatic and I'm trying to you know
sort out in my head how I'm going to
deal with the situation what's going to
unfold because it it changes as you you
as you get there so you want to deal
with the people you want to be
compassionate but you have to put your
emotions aside so it's very difficult
because you're a police officer but
you're still human so that's what's
going on with me it's been it's very
difficult for me over the years all the
things that I had to um deal with I had
to to do counseling you know because you
see so much that the human eye is not
used to seeing so for me I had to you
know go to counseling and sort to those
emotions so I can be emotionally
available you know for my family and
things like that but it's difficult for
every officer and it's not something
that you get used to ever ever yeah I
can't imagine I mean I'm viewing this
stuff secondhands and it's it's hard for
me just to watch it and I'm sure the
viewers can agree es especially with
this video how hard this is to watch
living through it it's a whole other
game I I can't imagine the next question
I have for you is when officers first
informed the father of the news no
parent ever wants to hear the officers
seem to conduct themselves in an
emotionally stable way at least from my
perspective as an outsider and
delivering news of this nature do you
think officers handled it well and is
there anything you would have done
differently in hindsight I mean this is
a tough situation when you have to
deliver news like this um in my opinion
you know I wasn't there I hate to Monday
Morning Quarterback anything but I felt
he was a little stoic in my opinion um I
tried to sympathize with people when I
was on the job and tried to understand
in in the best capacity of what they're
dealing with so he did it to the best of
his ability I don't know you know the
time this officer has on and you know
it's tough but um I thought he was a
little staric I would have tried to been
a little bit more you know just connect
with him a little bit more maybe maybe
sit him down something I don't know I
wasn't there but it it was it's a tough
situation you know to kind of like jump
continue that question again for me as
an outsider I have to be honest I really
didn't like the way things were handled
with the grandfather I love to hear your
thoughts on this this was this was tough
I didn't like that either I I I didn't
it really stood out to me because I
don't know if they knew the grandfather
was arriving if they did I would have um
hoped that they would have directed him
to a parking spot so maybe he could have
parked and then they could have dealt
with the situation so they either could
have done that or maybe got an officer
to direct traffic it looked like pretty
busy street but what I what stood out to
me that really just did not look well is
the officer went from trying to be
compassionate to being authoritative and
the grandfather literally got aggressive
with you don't want that that could have
gotten really really really bad it's a
it's not a good look for the police
department you know and the relations to
the public and and this man just lost
his granddaughter so you don't want to
sit there and have a argument with him
so I I didn't like the way it looked it
just I thought it could have been
handled better and I think it's like a
training issue it could been handled way
better than it was though I didn't I
didn't like that the final question I
have for you is that ultimately the
officer's investigative work resulted in
a conviction can you share a bit about
how it feels to solve a tough case like
this what are some of your thoughts on
the sentencing well I felt I'll start
with a situation that I um you know was
uh privy to when I was a police officer
um when I got out of the academy um I
worked with a very kind officer uh by
the name of officer skerski and he he
was such a great person the first day
out of the Academy I worked with him and
um in 2006 he responded to a uh a bar
robbery and um him and his partner one
guy went to the front skerski went to
the back and he was ambushed and um he
lost his life that night and um that's
that that stayed with me because um he
was one of the people that treated
rookie officers like they had you know
30 years on the job and it took um maybe
10 days to find the guy who did this um
it took uh Philadelphia police
detectives federal agents and uh he
literally ran from them they had to
discharge their weapons and um he was
apprehended and he did get you know life
he faced the crimes that he did but do I
think Justice was served I don't know
you know um he did you know answer but
that being solved stood out to me
because at least he you know face the
face the answer up for his crimes that
he did but it was very tough and that
stood out to me because um that stayed
with me for years it's still with me now
because um he treated me very very well
and I was happy to see that case solved
but you know he left behind a wife two
children and it's It's just tough man
It's just tough I am so sorry for your
loss in that situation but it it is
something that happens all the time and
people who aren't in the field may not
realize how often that happens and how
many officers have lost in this job
thank you for sharing that I very much
appreciate that um but the the last
question was what are some of your
thoughts on the sentencing in this case
I thought it was actually pretty light I
mean uh eight years and 231 days served
in a five years of suspended license so
to me it's likely to me that this guy
will go out here and do this again you
know it was very nonchalant when he was
apprehended so I didn't like I didn't
like that I thought it was very a light
sentence and um you know was very
unfortunate very unfortunate thank you
John for uh giving your input here very
much appreciate getting that inside look