Latest news with #RobertClemons
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Yahoo
MCTS fatal bus crash, driver pleads not guilty, MPD officer testifies
The Brief The MCTS driver charged in a fatal crash on Christmas night pleads not guilty in court. Montrell Pharm is charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and reckless driving. He's accused of falling asleep at the wheel, crashing into two parked cars and killing a 79-year-old man. MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) bus driver charged in a fatal crash on Christmas night pleaded not guilty in court on Monday, March 3. Montrell Pharm is charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and reckless driving charges from that crash. Surveillance video shows the moment the bus crashes into two parked cars, killing 79-year-old Robert Clemons. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android In court, a Milwaukee police officer took the stand and talked about what he saw on the video. "The bus operator was, had his eyes closed sleeping the bus veers to the right through the parking lane and collides with a PT Cruiser and strikes the two pedestrians that were on the side of the two vehicles," said Officer Brian Lewandowski. What's next Pharm is now scheduled to go to trial. He will be back in court on April 9th for a scheduling conference. The Source FOX6 had originally reported on the incident and obtained video. Court information is publicly available on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Yahoo
Milwaukee County fatal bus crash; video shows driver, collision
The Brief MCTS released video from a bus crash that killed one man and injured another. It happened near 47th and Villard on Dec. 25. The bus driver has since been fired and charged. MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee County Transit System on Thursday released video from a December bus crash that killed one man and injured another. The bus driver has since been fired and charged. The backstory The crash happened near 47th and Villard just after 11 p.m. on Dec. 25. A criminal complaint states police arrived to find two damaged vehicles in the roadway and a trail of blood. The bus had front-end damage and a broken windshield. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News One man, identified as 79-year-old Robert Clemons, was run over and killed. Another man was injured. The victim who survived told police, per the complaint, that they were working to fix a truck when the bus hit them and the vehicle. He suffered leg injuries and a broken arm. Police noted the vehicles that the bus hit were legally parked. The backstory Court records show 52-year-old Montrell Pharm is charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and reckless driving causing great bodily harm in connection to the December crash. Dig deeper The MCTS bus was equipped with cameras, one of which faced outward and showed the direction the bus was moving and another that recorded the driver. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android The complaint said video showed the bus primarily driving in the bike lane. It stopped at a red light, and then sat there as the light turned green, sitting through the cycle of lights again. As the bus proceeded through the intersection of 46th and Villard, two parked vehicles involved in the crash were seen ahead before the bus hit one and pushed it into the other. The bus then struck a person and moved from the bicycle lane back to the main lane of traffic. The bus stopped and then began to move forward again, before stopping and pulling over near 48th and Villard. The complaint went on to say the driver, Pharm, appeared to be sleeping or had his eyes closed when the bus was both stopped and moving. What they're saying Police interviewed Pharm. According to court filings, he said he had been working 14-hour days since Dec. 22 and had one eight-and-a-half-hour shift in between – and that he slept the night before for six hours. Pharm said he felt ashamed by what happened, per the complaint, but that he was "looking straight ahead, and he had a clear path, and that he was good." The next thing he knew there was an impact. He also made various comments about his health, including comments about his blood sugar, that he is "pre-diabetic" and his body must have shut down. He commented that he does not have insurance, so he has not been able to get the medication in some time. Dig deeper MCTS records reveal that Pharm was involved in an incident on Oct. 15, 2024 while operating an MCTS bus in which he was involved in a "preventable accident" at 76th and Burleigh in which he "appeared to fall asleep causing his bus to make contact with the rear of a stationary vehicle at a red light." Records obtained from the MCTS revealed that Pharm has undergone fatigue training and has been instructed on what to do in the event he feels too tired/fatigued to operate a bus, per the complaint. The Source Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.
