25-Year-Old Dies In Crash After 'Scared' Teen Fled Deputies

RACINE COUNTY, WI -- An 18-year-old Racine County man faces homicide charges after authorities say he's the person responsible for a crash that killed a 25-year-old Milwaukee man.

Robert Matagi, 18, has been charged with second-degree reckless homicide in the crash that killed Pedro Colon-Ortiz on April 11, sheriff's officials said.

In an apology letter written following the crash and his arrest, officials said Matagi wrote: “I had a gun and some marijuana in the car with no license and I was scared to go to jail and be stranded in Milwaukee so I sped up."

According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County, a Milwaukee County Sheriff's Deputy was on patrol on I-43 near W. Lapham St. just after 5 p.m. on April 11 when he reported seeing a red 2013 Chrysler 200 driven by Matagi recklessly heading south.

The deputy reported trying to stop Matagi's vehicle, only to have him speed away, exiting the freeway at W. Holt Ave. The deputy reported that Matagi ran a red stoplight at S. 13th St. and W. Morgan Ave., colliding with a 2013 Scion at the intersection before colliding with two more vehicles.

According to the criminal complaint, the driver of the Scion suffered severe injuries in the crash, and died in the ambulance that was dispatched to administer emergency care.

Authorities said that Matagi fled the crash scene on foot, and was taken down after a short foot pursuit. Deputies also noted that a woman traveling with Matagi also fled, but was apprehended while trying to conceal a gun and drugs at a nearby gas station, the criminal complaint stated.

When investigators downloaded information from the Airbag Control Module of the Chrysler driven by Matagi, it stated that 0.1 second prior the collision Matagi was traveling at 85 miles per hour, the accelerator pedal was at 93 percent and the engine throttle was at 99 percent of capacity. The speed limit was 30 miles per hour at the intersection.

Matagi is being held in the Milwaukee County Jail on a $250,000 cash bond.