Deputies Arrest 2 In OWI Crash With 8 Children In Van: Sheriff

MILWAUKEE, WI — Sheriff's officials in Milwaukee say they arrested two adults on alcohol-related charges early Wednesday morning after the van they were driving crashed on I-43 with eight children in the vehicle.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff's office is reporting that at 1:40 a.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to a one-vehicle crash on I-43 at W. Fond du Lac Avenue. Deputies say that the vehicle’s airbags were deployed, and two adults were standing outside the minivan with eight children, ages 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Several of the children required medical treatment for minor injuries.

Officials say the driver, Amanda M. Martinez, 30, of Milwaukee, also had a leg injury. A witness on
the scene told deputies that the van passed him at a high rate of speed, suddenly veered sharply, and
drove straight into a freeway retaining wall.

Deputies say they spoke with several of the children who were passengers in the van. Deputies reported that Ellis J. Toms, 36, of Milwaukee, had been drinking in the car and arguing with Martinez.

Sheriff's officials said that one child told a deputy, “everybody was screaming for them to stop. When we got on the freeway he kept grabbing at the steering wheel. He grabbed it again and we crashed and then I blacked out.”

According to sheriff's reports, Martinez tested to .088 blood alcohol concentration on a preliminary breath test - an amount greater than Wisconsin's operating while intoxicated laws permit. She was arrested for OWI-1st with Child Under 16 Years of Age in Vehicle, disorderly conduct, and seven counts of child neglect. One child was restrained in a safety seat belt.

Sheriff's officials said she also received citations for operating without a valid license and operating a vehicle with no insurance. She faces up to 6 years in prison if convicted.

Image Via Milwaukee County Sheriff