MILWAUKEE — A man who was seriously hurt in a hit-and-run crash three months ago on Milwaukee’s east side is sharing his message to reckless drivers.
A man fondly known as Quincy is a beloved Brady Street ‘regular.’ It’s where he made a living, meets his friends, and eats nearly every meal.
"I love the people, I love making friends. I love the food,” he said.
But the same street Quincy loves to spend his time on is also where he almost lost his life.
"I put my hand out like this so that meant stop. But the second car didn't stop,” he said.
Quincy was walking across Brady St. to head home on the night of Memorial Day when a driver plowed into him in a silver Jeep and kept going.
"The next thing I know, bam!” he said. "I noticed that my body was twisted. The front part of my body was in the back and the back was in the front so they had to rush me to the hospital."
Quincy says he broke his legs and suffered internal bleeding from the crash.
Quincy isn’t alone. UW-Madison traffic data shows four people have been hit while walking across Brady St. this year.
"That's why I'm encouraging every driver, slow down,” he said. “Please, for people with disabilities like me. People with canes, walkers, wheelchairs, whoever. Slow down."
The hit-and-run at Brady and Arlington got the attention of city leaders and it spurred change. The city already painted high-visibility crosswalks and soon there will be concrete planters and a median in the middle of the street.
"This is a high-density area and it's something that needs attention now,” said Carver Nightingale.
Nightingale is with ‘A Better Brady Street’. It’s an organization that’s pushing for pedestrian safety.
"We are tired of people who work on Brady Street, who live on Brady Street, who visit Brady Street from being endangered constantly,” she said.
While Nightingale is pleased to see traffic calming measures coming to the intersection where Quincy was hit, she’s one of many advocating for a full re-design of Brady St.
There are currently four options being proposed, from small upgrades like speed tables and curb extensions all the way ups to making a few blocks of Brady St. only for pedestrians.
“If you had it your way, which one would you choose?” TMJ4 reporter Ben Jordan asked.
"I would push for number four,” Nightingale said referring to the pedestrian-only option. “I want people to be safer, I want people to feel free to come visit Brady Street, to see the businesses that we have, to grow our city and honestly, other cities have already done it."
Until large-scale solutions are in place, Quincy hopes drivers realize the pain one careless decision has caused him as he’s unable to work or get around without help.
"It's not only taking away from your life, it’s taking away from other people's lives too,” he said.
Milwaukee police say they’re still searching for the driver who hit Quincy. Anyone with information is asked to call 414-224-TIPS.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
