Reckless driving is still one of the most important problems that many people complain about in the various communities throughout the city. The mayor and police department together are trying diverse kinds of solutions. The latest item brought forward for consideration is the reckless driving civil lawsuit. They are currently suing a driver they say is a public nuisance who has been cited forty-four times in the last five years. The lawsuit has been filed against Anthony Szablewski. He has had violations like excessive speed, unsafe passing and running red lights. In 2022 he has received fourteen citations already. Julius Kim, a criminal defense attorney, said “civil action is not normally taken against drivers.” “It’s kind of bridging the gap between civil lawsuits and traffic citations and the criminal law,” said Kim.
The lawsuit wants Szablewski’s driving to be declared a public nuisance. If he does not comply, he could have bigger problems. “With the civil courts involved, they could potentially do things like impound or confiscate a car or even ask the court to hold someone in civil criminal contempt, which could mean jail time,” said Kim. The police are hoping this will be a deterrent and get people to follow the law. The police add that they have twenty other drivers who have been cited ten or more times in the past five years. They have been notified if these violations continue, they could be next.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman issued the following statement in the news release:
“Reckless driving is an issue that has been plaguing our community for far too long. We continue to work on a multifaceted approach to combat reckless driving and need assistance from everyone, including our community. This novel approach of civil litigation against egregious reckless drivers is intended to send a clear message to all the chronic reckless drivers in Milwaukee that we take the safety of everyone on the roadways in our community very seriously.”
An additional note states you can report reckless driving at the Milwaukee Police Department Traffic Safety Unit website.
Hopefully, this will get the attention of everyone in the city and start to change the driving habits of everyone involved.