MILWAUKEEE — A 25-year-old man was charged in connection to the death of 15-year-old Donkeise Caldwell. Caldwell died after he was hit near 91st and Good Hope Road last week.
Shayqwen Thompson was charged with one felony count of knowingly driving while revoked - causing death.
Police responded to the area for a fatal crash on April 14 and found Thompson and his damaged vehicle. Caldwell was taken to Children's Hospital where he later died from his injuries. An investigation revealed Caldwell had attempted to cross the street when he was struck by Thompson.
According to a criminal complaint, Caldwell and several friends left Vincent High School to go buy candy from Walgreens prior to the crash. Caldwell allegedly jogged across the northbound lane of 91st Street and got to the median. A witness says he saw Caldwell step into the southbound lane of traffic and that is when he was struck. The complaint says Thompson attempted to swerve into the other lane to avoid hitting Caldwell but was unsuccessful.
Thompson told authorities that Caldwell "darted" into the street and he tried to switch lanes to avoid him. After striking him, Thompson called emergency personnel.
The complaint says Thompson admitted to not having a valid driver's license after failing to pay a ticket. Prior to that, he received several operating after-suspension tickets. After his license was revoked, he was convicted of operating after revocation in Menomonee Falls in 2022.
Thompson returns to court on April 26 for a preliminary hearing. His cash bond was set at $1,000. If convicted, Thompson faces a maximum of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Caldwell was a first-year student at Vincent High and played on the school's basketball team. The community launched a GoFundMe for his family.
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