Milwaukee father charged in DUI crash that killed son

Father 5-year-old Jaylen Sloan was charged with six felonies after prosecutors said he drove drunk and crashed at high speed, killing his son and injuring his twin brother Jaylen.

Christopher M. Sloan, 34, was charged Wednesday by the Milwaukee County Prosecutor’s Office.

The six charges include second-degree reckless homicide, second-degree reckless endangerment, DUI homicide, DUI homicide, unlicensed driving causing death and reckless conduct to the child, where the consequence is death.

According to the statement about a criminal offense:

Firefighters and police arrived at the scene of the crash Friday near North 81st Street and West Hampton Avenue to find Christopher Sloan trying to attack firefighters and saying he had been shot despite not suffering from a gunshot wound .

A witness told police she was driving eastbound on Hampton Avenue when she saw three cars crash in the westbound lanes and stopped to help. Christopher Sloan is accused of hitting two parked cars before crashing into a yard on Hampton Avenue.

A witness said she observed Jaylen Sloan’s brother, Jaylon, outside the vehicle when Jaylen was motionless and pinned between the front passenger seat and the dashboard. She said Christopher Sloan began fighting with firefighters as soon as they arrived.

Jaylen and Jaylon Sloan were eventually taken to Children’s Hospital. Jaylon Sloan survived the crash, but Jaylen Sloan died in hospital on Sunday.

Another witness said she was driving west on Hampton Avenue and was stopped at a traffic light at North 76th Street when she noticed the SUV’s driver’s door was open and his leg was hanging out of the vehicle. When the light turned green, the driver sped off, and when the witness arrived at 81st Street, she saw smoke and the same SUV with the same driver crashed into the yard, the complaint said.

A witness called 911 and heard the child, Jaylon Sloan, crying. She then helped remove Jaylen Sloan from the front passenger seat, where she saw Jaylen Sloan lying on the floor of the vehicle and unresponsive, according to the complaint.

A third witness, a resident nearby, looking out the window, said she saw the accident and also tried to help. Shortly before the crash, she said, she observed the same SUV in the eastbound lanes driving recklessly at a high rate of speed, weaving back and forth between lanes and coming close to hitting other cars, according to the complaint.

A witness said she saw the driver’s door open and his arm and leg dangling from the car, laughing and playing loud music. Shortly thereafter, she observed the same SUV traveling westbound at a high rate of speed, driving recklessly, with the door open and the driver’s leg still hanging from the vehicle, before losing control, colliding with two parked cars, and coming to a stop. complaint of states.

The witness yelled for her family to call 911 and rushed to the scene of the crash, where she saw the driver “go in and pass out” and then heard a child scream. She noticed Jaylon Sloan was not wearing a seat belt and helped him out of the SUV, the complaint states.

As the witness helped pull Jaylon Sloan out of the SUV, she said he yelled “my brother!” and pointed down to the front passenger seat where Jaylen Sloan was, according to the complaint.

The witness said that’s when Christopher Sloan regained consciousness and jumped into the passenger seat to shake Jalen Sloan’s shoulder and yell, “Ow! Ai! Get up, brother! Get up! Are you okay?” the complaint states.

The witness said she told Christopher Sloan not to touch his son until paramedics arrived.

Christopher Sloan “continually struggled” in the ambulance and was slurred, prosecutors said. He kept waving his arms and legs and at one point tried to kick a fireman. According to prosecutors, while in the hospital, Sloan tried to hit the nurses.

During an interview with a detective, Christopher Sloan said he did not remember the crash, but admitted he had been drinking before the crash, according to the complaint. He said he had no driver’s license and had never registered his car.

Jalen Sloan “loved his brother”

The boys’ mother, Teyra Harriell, told detectives she was not in a relationship with Christopher Sloan and their custody agreement specified a weekend to have the boys, the complaint said.

To a public vigil Tuesday night for Jalen Sloan at the scene of the accident.

“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with in my life,” Teaira Harrielle said. “He was very happy, he was very silly, he was very playful, he was very smart, he was just wonderful. I have no words.”

Jaylen’s grandmother, Cassandra Harriell, said not only is this a tragedy for her family, but too often children suffer the consequences of the actions of adults.

“It’s just sad that we’re here again. How many more times? How many more children? How many more bad choices?” she said.

“My grandson has to be here. There’s no excuse, he has to be here,” she added. “If you are intoxicated, … you risk not only your life, but also the lives of other people.

Cassandra Harrielle recalled happier memories of Jalen Sloan.

“He had the biggest smile,” she said. “Loved my brother. They were simply inseparable. And this is such a loss that he could have been in life.

“I will continue to fight for him until my last breath so that justice is done.”

Christopher Sloan made his first court appearance Wednesday, where bail was set at $200,000. Jaylen Sloan’s family founded a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover funeral expenses.