Milwaukee man charged in deadly crash that killed wheelchair user near 49th and Burleigh
CBS 58 MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — A 39-year-old Milwaukee man has been formally charged after prosecutors say he struck and killed a man using a wheelchair near North 49th Street and West Burleigh Street while driving with a blood alcohol concentration nearly three times the legal limit.
Jamie D. Coleman faces multiple felony charges, including homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle with a prior intoxicant-related conviction or revocation, homicide by use of a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration with a prior intoxicant-related conviction, and knowingly operating a motor vehicle without a valid license causing death.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by CBS 58, Milwaukee police responded shortly before 2:30 a.m. Oct. 10 to a report of a pedestrian struck near North 49th Street and West Burleigh Street.
When officers arrived, they found a man lying face up in the intersection. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office later identified him as 36-year-old Patrick McGowan.
McGowan was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another officer located the vehicle believed to have been involved about a half-block away, according to the complaint. The vehicle was still running, and Coleman, its sole occupant, was allegedly sitting in the driver's seat unconscious.
The complaint says Coleman was "difficult to wake" and smelled strongly of alcohol. Once awake, officers said he stumbled while walking and had difficulty speaking.
Police also noticed what appeared to be freshly spilled food inside the vehicle, which investigators said appeared consistent with the vehicle being suddenly jolted.
Coleman allegedly told officers he had been driving home.
According to the complaint, before officers questioned him about alcohol or his driving status, Coleman said he was intoxicated and that his driver's license was revoked. He was then arrested.
Investigators said the vehicle had fresh damage extending down the center of the hood to the windshield. The windshield was cracked, one of its wipers was broken and fresh glass particles were found around the damaged area.
Inside the vehicle, police found a takeout plate of food that had spilled around the gear shift and onto the front passenger-side floor, according to the complaint.
Coleman later performed standardized field sobriety tests. An officer reported observing multiple signs of impairment and concluded Coleman failed the tests.
The complaint says Coleman initially refused to provide a blood sample.
During a Mirandized interview, Coleman told investigators he owned the vehicle and had purchased it for $2,370 just two days before the crash, on Oct. 8.
When detectives asked where he had been before the collision, Coleman allegedly said he was unsure but remembered being at a birthday party at a bar near North 40th Street and West Fond du Lac Avenue.
Coleman told investigators he had consumed at least four alcoholic drinks at the bar, according to the complaint.
He initially said he believed he had been driving to his cousin's home but later told investigators that, because he was on Burleigh Street, he must have been headed to his girlfriend's residence.
Coleman told investigators he did not remember striking anything.
According to the complaint, Coleman acknowledged that his driver's license was revoked and confirmed that nobody else had been inside the vehicle.
He also told investigators the vehicle did not have the damage seen by officers when he purchased it.
A blood sample was ultimately collected from Coleman. Testing showed a blood alcohol concentration of .224%, according to the complaint.
Wisconsin's legal limit for most drivers is .08%.
Court records cited in the complaint show Coleman was previously convicted of operating while intoxicated in 2012.
Coleman was scheduled to make his initial court appearance Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 8:30 a.m. His case had not been updated on the Wisconsin Circuit Court website at the time of publication.
If convicted on all charges, Coleman faces up to 91 years in prison and $210,000 in fines.
CBS 58 News will update this story as additional court information becomes available.