A Milwaukee man is charged following a fatal hit-and-run crash that left a bicyclist dead July 31.
Shawn Richardson, 55, faces three felony charges: hit-and-run resulting in death, knowingly operating a vehicle without a valid license causing death, and bail jumping. If convicted on all counts, Richardson faces up to 37 years in prison and $120,000 in fines. His driving privileges would also be revoked for five years.
Bicyclist suffered significant injuries in the crash
According to the complaint, which was filed Aug. 5:
Around 5:40 p.m. July 31, Milwaukee police responded to the 1700 block of West Vliet Street after a bicyclist, later identified as Walter L. Williams Jr., 64, of Milwaukee, was struck by a vehicle that left the scene.
Emergency crews transported Williams to a local hospital with a laceration above his right eyebrow and significant facial swelling.
He was pronounced dead around 6:16 p.m.
A preliminary autopsy found Williams suffered blunt force injuries to his chest, abdomen, head, neck and extremities, including lacerations to his heart and lungs.
At the scene, investigators found Williams’ damaged bicycle and vehicle debris, including what appeared to be part of an exterior mirror and pieces of a headlight assembly.
A witness who had been waiting at a nearby bus shelter told police he heard a loud crash before seeing Williams on the ground and a black pickup truck traveling west away from the scene.
Police linked Richardson’s truck to the fatal crash
Surveillance video captured the collision and showed a dark-colored Dodge pickup truck with custom chrome wheels and distinctive gray or silver stripes.
Police later used license plate reader cameras to locate what appeared to be the same truck shortly after the crash. The license plate matched the number Richardson later provided to police when he reported his truck stolen.
Richardson told investigators he had been performing maintenance on the truck when he left the keys inside and went into his residence. He said when he returned five to 10 minutes later, he saw the truck being driven west at a high rate of speed.
Richardson did not report the truck stolen until 6:26 p.m., more than 30 minutes after the fatal crash. He told detectives he had reported the theft immediately after it occurred.
The following morning, police found Richardson’s 2012 Dodge Ram parked in the 6600 block of West Lisbon Avenue. The truck had a broken driver’s-side headlight, a missing driver’s-side mirror and additional damage to the driver’s-side front fender and door.
Richardson told police he filed a false report
On Aug. 2, Richardson told a detective that his truck had not been stolen and that he had filed a false police report because he panicked.
Investigators reviewed Richardson’s driving record and found he had never been issued a driver’s license. Richardson had previously been convicted of operating without a valid driver’s license in Milwaukee Municipal Court in 2022.
At the time of the crash, Richardson was out on a $2,500 cash bond in a separate felony drug case. One of the conditions of his bond prohibited him from committing additional crimes, which gave Richardson the bail-jumping charge.
Richardson had an initial appearance set for Aug. 5. Online records didn’t immediately say when his subsequent court appearance would be.
Adrienne Davis is a general assignment and breaking news reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Got any tips or stories to share? Contact Adrienne at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Authorities say man lied that truck in fatal hit-and-run was stolen
Reporting by Adrienne Davis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Adrienne Davis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
