Woman charged in crash that killed 5 people, including 1-year-old child, near 60th and Fond du Lac
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A 20-year-old Milwaukee woman was charged Friday in connection to a crash that left five people dead on Mother's Day.
Anteyona Jazmine Sandifer faces the following charges:
- Second degree reckless homicide (5 counts)
- Knowingly operate a vehicle without a valid license (5 counts)
- Second degree recklessly endangering safety
The crash happened late Sunday, May 14, when a Kia Sedona, travelling west on W. Fond du Lac Ave., collided with a Dodge SUV travelling on N. 60th St.
Four children who were passengers of the Kia died at the scene. The victims were identified as 17-year-old Israel Williams, 15-year-olds Mercedes Brown-Weeks and Mikayla Rattler and 1-year-old Aniya Robinson. Another passenger in the Kia, a 32-year-old man identified as Lorenzo Trotter -- was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The criminal complaint also identified Rattler as Sandifer's younger sister.
Authorities said Sandifer was the driver of the Kia. She was transported to a hospital following the crash with serious injuries, including a collapsed lung and broken ribs. She was later taken into custody.
The mother of the youngest victim, Arneisha Beckworth, said the driver, known to friends and family as "Jaz," was her baby girl's godmother and often relied on her.
"I just trusted her with my kids," she told CBS 58 News.
In fact, the night of the accident, Sandifer was taking care of the baby. She told Beckworth they'd be stopping by a nearby McDonald's before heading home.
Beckworth said a Facebook post with photos of a bad crash had caught her attention before going to sleep.
"I'm like, the car looked familiar but I'm...I'm just tripping," she said. "I got a text from Jaz's momma saying, 'your daughter is dead.'"
Milwaukee police said the Kia was travelling roughly 80 miles per hour, running a red light and ultimately, collided with the Dodge SUV. The posted speed limit for the stretch of the road was 35 miles per hour.
According to the criminal complaint, Sandifer has never had a valid license in the state of Wisconsin, and her current license status is suspended. Official said Sandifer was previously found guilty of that offense in November of 2021.
Sandifer had her initial court appearance on May 19. The judge said she would be held on a $500,000 cash bail. Her next court date is scheduled for May 25.
Meantime, a GoFundMe has been created to help the family of the 1-year-old child. CLICK HERE to donate.