Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Moises Vazquez, 60, Killed in National Avenue Hit-and-Run, and Sergio Pedroza Is Charged With Homicide

A 60-year-old man crossing West National Avenue on Milwaukee's south side was killed early on Sunday when an SUV struck him and kept going, and prosecutors have charged the driver they say was behind the wheel with homicide, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, citing a criminal complaint filed by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office identified the man who died as Moises Vazquez, 60, on October 26, according to the Journal Sentinel. Prosecutors charged Sergio Lee Pedroza, 31, of Milwaukee with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, enhanced because of a prior intoxication related conviction, and with hit-and-run resulting in death, TMJ4 reported.

The crash on National Avenue

Vazquez was crossing West National Avenue between South 1st and South 2nd streets, at the edge of the Walker's Point neighborhood, at about 2:30 a.m. on October 25, as bars in the area were closing, according to the complaint reported by TMJ4. An SUV struck him, and he died at the scene despite efforts to save him.

Investigators recovered video from the scene, and the complaint says the video shows a GMC Yukon striking Vazquez and leaving without stopping. The SUV then nearly struck a vehicle that was stopped at a red light before turning north onto South 2nd Street, prosecutors allege.

A traffic stop blocks away

An officer followed the SUV and stopped it on West Virginia Street, according to the complaint. Pedroza stumbled as he got out, appeared unbalanced and smelled of alcohol, the complaint says, and he showed signs of drunkenness in field sobriety tests. Pedroza told investigators he had been drinking at multiple bars before the crash and admitted he was driving, according to the complaint. The vehicle also had damage consistent with hitting a person, investigators said.

Court documents cite a prior operating while intoxicated conviction from 2014, which enhances the homicide charge, TMJ4 reported. If he is convicted of both charges, Pedroza faces up to 65 years in prison and $200,000 in fines, the Journal Sentinel reported. He was scheduled for an initial court appearance on October 27, and online court records did not yet list an attorney for him, the Journal Sentinel said.

The 42nd road death in Milwaukee this year

Police data shows 42 people have died in Milwaukee vehicle crashes so far this year, the Journal Sentinel reported. TMJ4 reported on Sunday that neighbors near National Avenue were already raising traffic safety concerns about the street hours after the crash, before the charges and the identification were made public.

A GoFundMe has been created to help pay for Vazquez's funeral expenses, TMJ4 reported. "We want to give Moses a respectful farewell and help ensure his loved ones can focus on grieving, remembering, and celebrating his life during this difficult time," the GoFundMe states, as quoted by TMJ4.

The case now moves through Milwaukee County court. Pedroza is charged, not convicted, and the allegations in the complaint have not been tested at trial.