CUDAHY, Wis. — A 17-year-old was charged Thursday in connection with the death of her 14-year-old sister after a rollover crash on I-794 in Cudahy.
Zaneah Spadaro was charged with one felony count of "knowingly operate motor vehicle without a valid license - cause death."
Spadaro's sister, 14-year-old Zamari Spadaro, was killed during the high-speed crash on Sunday, May 21.
Officers responded to State Highway 794 at Pennsylvania Ave. around 2 a.m. for a rollover accident. According to a criminal complaint, a car was found in a ditch and Spadaro was performing life-saving measures on her sister Zamari as she exclaimed "She was sorry she had taken her sister's life." Medical personnel's attempts were unsuccessful and Zamari was pronounced dead at the scene.
The complaint explains I-794 comes to its southern end at Pennsylvania Ave. in Cudahy. Shortly before the highway ends, the roadway for southbound traffic turns to the left 90 degrees. The crash occurred in the area of the curve.
The complaint says the vehicle, driven by Spadaro, failed to successfully make the curve and instead went onto the grass, flipped over completely, and came to rest right-side up in a grassy area off the roadway.
The complaint says Zamari did not have her seatbelt on and her head struck the windshield during the accident.
Spadaro told deputies she was "driving the car at a fast pace" and didn't see the curve "until it was too late." When she tried to brake and turn the wheel, the vehicle ended up flipping.
The criminal complaint says Spadaro does not have a driver's license and admitted to knowing this.
Spadaro's cash bond was set to $1,000 on Thursday. The court commissioner agreed to lower bail so Spadaro could be released from custody and begin receiving mental health treatment. If convicted, she faces up to six years in prison. She returns to court for a preliminary hearing on June 5.
As TMJ4 News previously reported, Zamari was one of four people in the car being driven by Spadaro. The crash injured two other passengers, who were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
In a previous interview with TMJ4, Spadaro's mom shared Zamari was a student at Clinton Middle School in Clinton, Iowa. She loved volleyball, had a goofy personality, and was passionate and loving towards others.
In the past year, Wisconsin Community Maps shows there have been at least three crashes in the area near the curve resulting in death or injury in the past year. Several more have been reported to cause property damage.
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