Although all can agree that a fatal car crash on Sept. 16 was a tragedy, there is less consensus on how to prevent similar incidents in the future.
That day Pler Moo, 50, and her two sons, Moo Nay Taw, 21, and Kar Lah Kri Moo, 15, were killed and two other children seriously injured when their car was struck at North 35th and West Vliet streets by another vehicle fleeing police.
Since the crash, some have called for changes to police pursuit policies, while others blame the crashes on those who flee police.
“It is a very complex issue,” said Ruth Ehrgott, whose pregnant daughter, Erin Mogensen, was killed in 2023 when a reckless driver fleeing police crashed into her car.
“I will always stop anybody that says, ‘Well, you know, the problem is … .’ These problems are too complex for that.”
Ehrgott takes a nuanced approach to reckless driving through the nonprofit she founded in honor of her daughter, Enough is Enough – A Legacy for Erin.
She believes the entire community has a part to play in reducing deaths and injuries from reckless driving.
Ongoing trend
The crash that occurred Sept. 16 likely would not have happened a decade ago, when MPD restricted vehicle pursuits to violent felonies.
In 2017, then-Police Chief Edward Flynn expanded the department’s policy to allow pursuits in cases involving drug dealing and reckless driving.
The following year, police pursuits rose 155% – from 369 instances to 940 – with about two-thirds of the chases initiated because of reckless driving, according to a report from the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. In 2024, there were 957 police pursuits in Milwaukee and just under one-third ended in a crash, according to another Fire and Police Commission report.
There have been five deaths caused by crashes during police pursuits in Milwaukee since July. On July 29, El Moctar Sidiya was killed when a man fleeing officers crashed into his car on West Brady Street. On Aug. 23, Hasan Harris died after his car was struck by an individual who was fleeing police on West Center Street.
The increase of pursuit-related deaths in Milwaukee is often cited as evidence of a link between looser pursuit policies and greater traffic risks, said Geoffrey Alpert, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina and an expert on police pursuits.
MPD acknowledges the widespread effects of these pursuits.
“Police pursuits present significant challenges due to the physical, emotional and financial impact on officers, the public and fleeing suspects,” an MPD spokesperson told NNS.
Change to pursuit policy
Alpert said if the goal is to reduce traffic injuries and deaths, pursuits should be limited to cases involving violent crimes.
He also said it is a myth that limiting police chases to violent crimes causes an increase in other offenses, such as drug dealing. He cited a study in Virginia that found more narrow pursuit policies did not lead to higher crime rates.
There were calls to change MPD’s pursuit policy from members of the public during a Fire and Police Commission meeting on Sept. 18.
Kayla Patterson put it bluntly in her public comment.
“Committing crimes and traffic stops should not be death sentences,” she said.
Others weigh in
Mayor Cavalier Johnson, while speaking at a news conference on Sept. 18, addressed reckless driving and high-speed pursuits.
He said that traffic-calming measures had reduced reckless driving in the city, but high-speed chases involving police remain a serious problem.
Johnson said the city is considering different options, including using technology to warn people about pursuits.
But the primary responsibility for stopping chases is on those who flee, Johnson said.
“I believe that one of the most effective things we can do in order to eliminate these chases … is to listen to officer commands to pull the vehicles over and not proceed with the chase,” Johnson said.
Ald. Peter Burgelis, vice chair of the Milwaukee Common Council’s Public Safety and Health Committee, agrees.
“Criminals fleeing from police contribute to injuries and deaths,” Burgelis said in an email to NNS.
Calling the Sept. 16 crash “particularly devastating,” Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern said police must be involved in the response to reckless driving.
“It is important to keep in mind that reckless driving has injured and killed a number of innocent people in our community, without any police pursuits involved,” Lovern said. “Police cancel pursuits where the public safety concerns indicate that is the appropriate course of action.”
Drea Rodriguez, global program officer at WomenServe, suggested that police get more training, including on ideal routes to take.
In this way, she said, residents can be a part of the solution and “easily share some hot spots to be aware of.”
A spokesperson for MPD said the department is committed to making sure its training, policies and risk mitigation strategies reflect national best practices.
Ehrgott said in addition to proper training for police, there should be strong repercussions for those who flee from police in addition to greater awareness of its dangers.
“These problems are societal,” Ehrgott said. “It’s happening to all of us.”
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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