More than a dozen people still hospitalized before Thanksgiving after deadly parade crash in Waukesha
The youngest victim, an 8-year-old boy, died of his injuries on Tuesday, according to his family.
On Wednesday, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, which initially admitted 16 children, said three more patients had been discharged before the holiday season.
Of the remaining 10 children, five are in critical condition, two are in good condition and three are in good condition, the hospital said.
In addition, one in four patients receiving care at Aurora-Summit Medical Center remains in serious condition and three are in good condition, the hospital said. The two are being treated at Froedtert & the Wisconsin Medical College Health Network, according to the medical facility, which did not disclose their condition.
Prosecutors believe Darrell E. Brooks was the driver of the SUV and have charged him with five counts of willful first-degree murder. Brooks, 39, could face a sixth murder charge following the boy’s death, they said.
Another 62 people were injured, according to a criminal complaint filed in Waukesha . District Court
Sorenson, Owen and Durand are members of The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies, a group that participates in various Wisconsin parades.
A family’s GoFundMe page says Sorenson, who goes by the nickname Ginny, spent her final moments celebrating the beauty of life and her true passion for the dance group. Her granddaughter, Gabrielle Kamentz, misses her for everything she taught.
“My grandmother taught me everything I needed to know in life… so happy and proud to follow in her footsteps as a nurse,” Kamentz wrote on Facebook.
Owen is a mother of two and a mother of three who works as a manager at the Packard Glen Apartments in suburban Milwaukee.
Her son, Chris Owen, told CNN: “She was kind, loving and lights up every room she was in. “We saw a car speeding around the corner, but we didn’t know what was really going on.” Chris Owen said. “The more we haven’t heard from her, we’re guessing she was hit.”
Durand, a recent member of the dance crew, wrote on Facebook a message that she was “excited” for her parade debut.
Best Version Media shared a statement on the death of Durand, wife of Executive Chairman and Founder Dave Durand.
“We are devastated by the tragedy that occurred on Sunday evening in Waukesha,” the statement read. “Tammy is an integral part of our family who will be loved by everyone at BVM.”
Kulich represented her owner, Citizens Bank, in the parade, said her daughter, Taylor Smith, who told CNN some of Kulich’s organs would be donated.
Smith said: “That’s my mother. Cho still, even when there’s nothing left to give. I’m so proud of her.”
“My mother always helps people. I am honored to be the daughter of someone who has brought so much to people’s lives. Even in this darkness, she still shines for us.”
Witnesses say how the accident happened
Police Chief Daniel Thompson said the crowd was enjoying the parade in downtown Waukesha when, just before 4:40 p.m. local time, a red SUV sped through some barricades and sped off. straight to the parade route.
Angela O’Boyle, who was watching from the balcony of her fifth-floor apartment, recorded a video showing the SUV crashing into an individual in a marching band. The SUV then continued forward, hitting and running past others in the ice and crowd before driving away.
People could be heard screaming and seen running for safety as the SUV continued on its way.
Video of the parade published on the city’s Facebook page showed a red SUV speeding through the parade, followed by a running police officer.
One officer, identified as Detective Casey, first heard a car horn near his location along the parade route. When Casey went to investigate, he saw a red Ford Escape SUV driving past marchers and “observed people jumping off the road,” according to the criminal complaint.
The lawsuit alleges that the SUV was traveling at a slow speed at the time, and Casey slammed the hood of the vehicle while shouting “stop” several times. The SUV sped past Casey and continued toward the procession.
Casey chased the vehicle on foot as it began to speed, the complainant said, and radioed for assistance. Seconds later, other reports came through the police station that people had been hit by the car.
Defendant was released on $5 million bail
A judge deemed Brooks a flight risk and set his bail at $5 million. His first court appearance was on Tuesday. The sentence on the five counts of murder he faces will result in life in prison.
The reason behind the crash is still unclear. Early indications suggest that Brooks is on the run from the original case, according to multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the results of the preliminary investigation.
Thompson, the sheriff, said Brooks was involved in an indoor disturbance with another person shortly before plowing his SUV through the parade. But there were no officers chasing Brooks leading up to the parade, Thompson said.
Brooks was out of a relationship earlier this month after allegedly using a vehicle to run over a woman who said she was the mother of his child, court documents show. The woman survived the November 2 incident and was taken to hospital with her injuries, according to the criminal complaint.
CNN’s Claudia Dominguez, Holly Yan, Travis Caldwell, Amir Vera, Paul P. Murphy, Raja Razek, Dave Alsup, Joe Sutton, Keith Allen, Shimon Prokupecz, Lauren M. Johnson, Sara Smart and Evan Perez contributed to the report. this.
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