Wisconsin Law Blog

Judge David Bastianelli of Kenosha County awarded a $2.15 million judgment for a 9-year-old Kenosha boy who lost his right arm in a 2006 pedestrian/auto accident caused by a 15-year-old girl with cocaine in her system.

According to police reports the at fault driver, Patricia Pacheco, now 18, had stolen her grandmother’s car and gone joy riding.  She was driving near Kenosha’s lakefront, when she began experiencing dizzy spells and light headedness. Rather than pulling the car over, Pacheco attempted to drive home.

The at fault driver, Pacheco, claims she “blacked out” near the intersection of 52nd Street and 34th Avenue.  She veered off the road, hit a stop sign and a payphone before pinning the young boy against a minivan and severing his right arm. A witness reported that Pacheco was “smiling” as she careened off the road.

A toxicology report showed that Pacheco had a metabolite of cocaine in her system. Despite not having a driver’s license, this was Pacheco’s sixth driving related offense. 

"This was a tragic collision. My client lost his arm because a 15-year-old made the choice to do drugs, steal a car, and go for a " joy ride," said attorney Jonathan Grothes and two families are affected, not to mention a great number of witnesses who will never forget what they saw that day."