By LaKeshia N. Myers
Representative LaKeshia Myers
A little girl died last week. Four-year-old Zekani Hymes-Wilson was struck and killed by a speeding vehicle. She and her mother had walked to a local store and Zekani didn’t make it back home. Her mother, Gloria, sustained life-threatening injuries. I was saddened to hear of the hit-and-run death, but even more infuriated to learn that the driver of the vehicle that struck them, did not stop to provide first aid. The driver left the scene and later abandoned the vehicle.
To operate a vehicle with such disregard for human life is quite troubling and has become a reality for far too many Wisconsinites. Zekani was the first child, and the eighth person to be killed in a pedestrian related vehicle crash in Milwaukee County this year. In reflecting on her death, I wonder if this enough to wake politicians, judges, and the district attorney into action.
As a legislator, I have continued to sound the alarm about reckless driving and have championed legislation aimed at curbing this behavior and punishing individuals who choose to drive with lack of restraint. These remedies have included increasing the penalties for driving with no license or suspended licenses and placement of red light and speed enforcement cameras which are currently prohibited by state law.
Reckless driving is not only an issue that plagues Milwaukee, but one that persists across the state; therefore, it is incumbent on the state legislature to stop ignoring this issue and finally change the law. With over one hundred pedestrian related deaths in the past five years, the loss of life is exponential and requires legislative attention. It is for this reason that I asked the governor to call for a special session of the legislature to address reckless driving. It is my hope that the leadership in both chambers would agree to take this issue seriously.
We cannot let Zekani’s death be in vain. We must do what is necessary to change the culture and raise the consciousness of our drivers in Wisconsin.