Driver charged in hit-and-run that killed Milwaukee DPW worker filling potholes
A 31-year-old man has been charged in the hit-and-run crash that took the life of a city public works employee last week.
Terron Clayborn had not been arrested as of Friday but is the subject of an arrest warrant and police issued a call for the public's help in finding him, describing him as 5-foot-6 and weighing 250 pounds. He is charged with hit-and-run causing death and knowingly operating a vehicle while suspended, causing death.
According to the criminal complaint:
Clayborn had picked up a woman and her children, then dropped the children at school Feb. 8 when he crashed into Bryan Rodriguez as he was filling potholes on North 17th and West Vine streets about 8:15 a.m.
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The collision pinned Rodriguez between Clayborn's 1998 Chevy Lumina and the Department of Public Works dump truck filled with asphalt.
The woman later told police Rodriguez was on the hood of the Chevy, in great pain, asking for his coworker to "get it off my legs."
The Chevy was so damaged in the crash she had to exit through a rear window.
She said she and Clayborn jumped up and down and tried to flag down help, but most cars passed and only took video. When Clayborn finally got someone to stop, he persuaded that driver to take him and the woman back to her house.
She said she wanted to go to the hospital, but Clayborn threatened her with a gun and made her drive him to his brother's house near North 16th and West Locust streets. She drove him there in her car, but as soon Clayborn got to his brother's porch, she took off for the hospital.
At the emergency room, she told staff to call police about Clayborn because, "I think he killed somebody and I think he's going to kill me."
According to the complaint, Clayborn has never had a valid driver's license and has 14 prior convictions for driving after suspension dating back five years.
Another driver told police she had also seen Rodriguez filling potholes and had moved left to go around him when she saw the Lumina coming up behind her and headed toward Rodriquez.
Just as she was passing the DPW truck, she heard screeching tires to her right and saw the collision. She did a U-turn and came back to see Clayborn and the woman standing outside the passenger side of the Lumina, and the woman screaming "help me, help me," before they both ran off to the west.