Man In Fatal Crash Drove Drunk With 8-Day-Old Baby In Car: Police

MILWAUKEE, WI — Police in Milwaukee say that a man was drunk and behind the wheel with his 8-day-old child when he struck and killed a pedestrian on a rainy evening this week.

The man accused of the fatal accident has been identified as Christopher Justin Anderson of Milwaukee and faces multiple charges including two homicide-related charges, two drunk-driving related charges, resisting an officer and bail jumping.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County, at about 9 p.m. on June 18, police responded to an accident scene on the 2800 block of W. State St., where they found an injured pedestrian - later identified as Bruce Williams - laying in the road, bleeding and barely conscious. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased at 10:10 p.m.

While at the scene, Christopher J. Anderson approached officers and said that he had been driving a sport utility vehicle and struck Williams, according to the criminal complaint.

When police investigated, they noted that Anderson's vehicle had front-end damage, found a half-empty bottle of brandy inside, a woman, and the couple's 8-day-old daughter, police said.

Investigators said that the woman in the passenger seat said that she saw people walking into the street, then turned to tend to their infant daughter, then heard a sound like the SUV striking something.

The complaint stated that Anderson was arrested and submitted to a blood test, where results returned a .308 blood alcohol concentration - often considered a potentially life-threatening level of intoxication.

According to police, Anderson told a police detective that he drank a quarter of a pint of brandy at home before getting into his SUV with the woman and their new baby. As he was driving, he approached State Street where he said in the complaint that he was driving less than 30 miles per hour.

The complaint states that Anderson told police that he did not see Williams, heard a "thump," and was told he just hit someone. He told the detective that he stopped, went to Williams and waited for the arrival of police.

According to court records, Anderson has been convicted for operating a vehicle while intoxicated in 2006 and two in 2010. Anderson also, according to court records, has a pending case in Waukesha County where he has been charged in a hit-and-run case.

If convicted, Anderson could face 50 years or more behind bars. He is currently being held in the Milwaukee County Jail.

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