Sheriff's Deputy Was Looking At Screen Before Fatal Crash: DA

MILWAUKEE, WI — A Milwaukee County Sheriff's deputy was looking at a computer screen before he ran a red light and crashed into a pickup truck, killing the truck's driver, according to authorities.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County, Deputy Joel Streicher has been charged with felony homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle for his role in the fatal Jan. 25 crash. If convicted, Streicher faces up to five years in prison.

Authorities say Streicher was behind the wheel of his sheriff's squad and was heading north on 10th Street to resume his patrol on Jan. 25 when he looked at his onboard computer for any new assignments or activity.

According to the criminal complaint, Streicher was driving between 29 and 30 miles per hour and was looking at his computer screen when he failed to notice a red light at State Street and 10th Street.

Police said Streicher's squad went through the red light, and collided with a black Ford F-150. According to the criminal complaint, Streicher said he "did not have a memory of seeing any of the traffic signals at the intersection of State Street and 10th Street," and did not see the F-150 at the time of the crash.

Police say officers responded to the crash that night, and found a black Ford F-150 pickup truck lying on its driver's side, just north of the intersection of 10th Street. Authorities said they found a second vehicle, later identified as Streicher's squad car, west of the intersection, up on the sidewalk in front of the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility.

According to the criminal complaint, the driver of the F-150, Caesar Stinson, was found laying on the ground with his head stuck between the road and the driver's door. The Milwaukee Fire Department arrived, and pulled one passenger from the F-150, but determined that Stinson died in the crash, authorities said.

Investigators said the squad car's brakes were never used at any point prior to the crash.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators cited state laws when it came to computer screens while behind the wheel of a law enforcement vehicle: "Mobile Data Terminals and laptops are another matter—they not only require mental attention, they also require you to take your eyes off the road. Do not try to read the screen while your vehicle is in motion."

No initial appearance date has been set as of Monday, court records show.