Puerto Rico native killed in suspected reckless driving crash in downtown Milwaukee
Iris Feliciano-Hernandez moved to Milwaukee from Puerto Rico in 2016 so that she could start a new journey and grow as a person. She died in a suspected reckless driving crash this past weekend in downtown Milwaukee.
The early morning June 7 fatal crash took place at the intersection of West State and North Sixth streets, just a block from Milwaukee police headquarters. Feliciano-Hernandez, 30, died at the scene.
Tremayne A. Brown, a 20-year-old Milwaukee man, has been charged in connection to the crash with second-degree reckless homicide, accused of traveling at 70 mph downtown before running a red light and crashing into Feliciano-Hernandez.
Brown told an officer at the scene that he had "a couple of shots" of gin earlier in the morning after the officer reported that Brown couldn't remember where he was going or what day it was, according to a criminal complaint filed June 10. Prosecutors said the result of Brown's blood draw are still pending.
Police recovered video of the crash and downloaded data from Brown's vehicle, which shows that Brown was traveling westbound on State Street at 70 mph and the accelerator was activated at 100% before the crash, the complaint said. The speed limit on this portion of State Street is 30 mph.
Brown also had a suspended driver's license and was cited twice in March and once in April of driving with a suspended license. He is currently in custody of the Milwaukee County Jail, held on $50,000 bail. He faces decades behind bars.
Feliciano-Hernandez's parents, Blanca Hernandez and Edwin Feliciano, still live in Puerto Rico. Feliciano-Hernandez grew up in Aguada, Puerto Rico. She had a small amount of immediate family members in Milwaukee.
Her cousins, Dimy Hernandez and Zully Velazquez, and her partner, Felix, have been serving as points of contact for authorities and recently they worked with Feliciano-Hernandez's parents, who only speak Spanish, to respond to a request for comment from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"Iris was an only daughter and so loved," her family said in a statement. "She had a contagious smile, she was very creative and charismatic."
Feliciano-Hernandez moved to the U.S. to "better herself," her family said. She was working for a manufacturing company in Waukesha and also had a small business baking Puerto Rican treats.
"She loved to make things to make others happy," her family said. "When she wasn't working she devoted herself to her small business. She also enjoyed spending time with friends and her fur babies: Milo, Aura, and Mia."
Feliciano-Hernandez's family said they seek justice. "We don't understand how an individual who was stopped various times within the last two months by the Milwaukee police for driving with a suspended license was still driving around freely," the family said.
A small service for immediate family was held for Feliciano-Hernandez at Witkowiak Funeral Home on Milwaukee's historic Mitchell Street. Her father has returned to Puerto Rico, where he awaits the transfer of his only child's body. A funeral service will take place in Puerto Rico on June 19.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Puerto Rican killed in suspected reckless driving crash in Milwaukee
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