Milwaukee firefighter who caused double fatal crash on Hawley Road pleads guilty

Milwaukee firefighter Joshua Larson plead guilty today in the Brewers opening day crash that killed two on Hawley Road last year.

An agreement was made during Larson's Final Pretrial Conference this morning. Larson changed his plea to guilty. He was scheduled to go to trial next month, instead, he pleaded guilty to two counts of Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle.

Joshua Larson has been charged with two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration.

Larson told police he was at the Milwaukee Brewers’ Opening Day Game prior to the accident. Larson said he consumed four 12-ounce cans of Coors Light beer.  He blew at a .164 BrAC. According to the criminal complaint, he drove west on Bluemound Road and then south on Hawley Road.  He was driving south on south 60th street when a silver Toyota van exited the parking lot.  He did not know if the van was turning left or right onto 60th Street, and he could only remember that the van “pulled out” in front of him.  He collided with the van, but he did not sustain any injuries.

After the accident, he got out of his truck and noticed the driver of the van was not conscious. He used a knife to cut the driver’s seatbelt off. Larson said he got the driver out of the van and he then discovered that the driver did not have a pulse. He performed chest compressions on the driver. 

The Sentencing Hearing for Joshua Larson will now take place on July 21st.