MILWAUKEE — More than four years after the death of his godmother, Russell Antonio Goodwin Sr. is sharing how reckless driving has impacted his life forever.
Dr. Sylvia Tiwari was killed when Goodwin Sr. said reckless drivers blew through a stop sign at 33rd and Walnut back in 2018.
Goodwin Sr. met TMJ4's Ryan Jenkins at the scene of the crash. The return to that location was emotional. He said his heart still aches thinking about the tragedy that occurred there.
"She was a pillar in the community. She fed the homeless, she clothed the homeless, she helped people get jobs, get homes, and there's nothing she wouldn't do for the community. She would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it," Goodwin Sr. said.
Goodwin Sr. said he is sharing his painful story with hopes of becoming a champion in finding solutions to reckless driving in Milwaukee.
So far this year, 58 people have been killed in crashes on Milwaukee roads, according to the Milwaukee Police Department's Traffic Safety Unit. Goodwin Sr, a former Milwaukee County supervisor, says it's time to think outside of city limits when seeking solutions.
"We're all in this together and when Milwaukee hurts, Wisconsin hurts. So, we have to look at it where the state is going to have to increase the shared revenue, which is very important so that we can tackle the issues of reckless driving," Goodwin Sr. said. "It's going to take a partnership of local government and state government."
Increasing shared revenue is a move that Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson expressed support for during a one-on-one interview with TMJ4 just last week.
"I need the state of Wisconsin to send additional resources to Milwaukee, in terms of our shared revenue program that's been well documented, and plus give Milwaukee, give the City of Milwaukee, the opportunity to raise revenue on our own," said Johnson.
For Goodwin Sr., that call for change is personal, just like it is for hundreds of other local families who are desperate for safer streets throughout the city.
"When Dr. Sylvia Tawari died, this community lost a pillar," said Goodwin Sr. "They lost a library, they lost a community leader, they lost an awesome mom."
An emotional plea for change from a man who lost his innocent godmother too soon.
