BROOKFIELD, Wis. — A Milwaukee mom and her two children are lucky to be alive after their car was struck by a driver who never should have been on the highway.
On March 24, Dorothy Ignasiak was driving with her children to the Mall of America for spring break on I-94 westbound, just before the Moorland Road exit in Brookfield a little after 9 a.m., when their plans took a turn.
"Next thing I know, I'm yelling at the kids," Ignasiak said. "I said, 'he's going to freaking hit us,' and as soon as I said that, he hit us."
Ignasiak's silver Chevrolet Equinox was struck by a maroon vehicle that had swerved directly into her, sending her vehicle into the median.
"I'm thinking, please, just let us be okay," Ignasiak said. "Let my kids be okay."
Both of her children were unharmed, but Ignasiak sustained some injuries. The driver, Jeffrey Lamont Arnold, fled the scene but was later arrested in the parking lot of a nearby restaurant at The Corners of Brookfield.
Court documents show Arnold was facing his fourth operating while intoxicated charge and was driving with a revoked license. It went on to say he admitted to investigators that he used PCP daily and that a strong odor of burnt marijuana was coming from his car.
The criminal complaint revealed that a deputy was unable to complete the horizontal gaze nystagmus test with Arnold. During more testing, the 54-year-old showed six of the possible eight clues of impairment and was not able to complete preliminary breath test. A drug recognition expert later determined that Arnold was high on PCP and marijuana.
Watch: Milwaukee mom, children struck by driver now facing 4th OWI
"You got behind the wheel. You could've killed me. You could've killed my children, or you could've killed somebody else that day," Ignasiak said.
Ignasiak is still dealing with the aftermath two weeks later, including a concussion, sprained wrist and ongoing back pain. She said she was "so scared to drive" after the crash.
She posted in Facebook groups following the experience to track down anymore witnesses who may have seen what happened. A Good Samaritan stepped up and provided dash camera footage.
Ultimately, Ignasiak is thankful her family is OK.
"Thank God, I'm still here, and my kids are here," she said.
Arnold is facing the following charges:
- Hit And Run - Attended Vehicle
- Operate Motor Vehicle While Revoked
- Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under The Influence - 4th Offense
- Felony Bail Jumping
- Misdemeanor Bail Jumping
- Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety
If convicted on all counts, he faces just over 24 years in prison.
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