A Milwaukee man has admitted guilt in a deadly March 2024 crash that killed a grandmother and her 11-year-old grandson at Sherman Boulevard and Villard Avenue, according to court records. The violent collision overturned one vehicle, rattled the surrounding neighborhood and now has the driver set to face sentencing in May.
Court documents show 33-year-old Davonte Jackson pleaded guilty to second-degree recklessly endangering safety and two counts of vehicular homicide. Eight other felony counts were dismissed but read into the record as part of the plea, according to FOX6 Milwaukee.
The crash unfolded in early March 2024 when police say a silver Infiniti sped through a red light at Sherman and Villard, hit another vehicle and set off a chain-reaction pileup that flipped one car into a marked Milwaukee police squad. The wreck killed 55-year-old Janice Howard at the scene. Her grandson, 11-year-old Ashton Porter, died days later from his injuries, as reported by CBS 58.
Surveillance and body-worn camera footage obtained by local outlets shows officers tried to pull over the Infiniti near Milwaukee Police District Four just minutes before the crash, and that the car reached speeds of about 70 mph, according to WISN 12 News. Jackson was arrested roughly a block away on Eggert Place. The squad car that was struck had two officers inside; one officer was treated but did not need to be hospitalized, as detailed by TMJ4.
Jackson had previously been named one of "Wisconsin's Most Wanted" in August 2023 and has a history of felony charges. In a separate case, he was convicted of harboring or aiding a felon and is also scheduled for sentencing in May, FOX6 Milwaukee reports.
Sherman Boulevard Safety Concerns Flare Again
The deadly wreck quickly reignited long-running complaints about speeding and reckless driving along Sherman Boulevard, a corridor neighbors and reporters say has seen crash after crash. City officials have floated potential traffic-calming measures, but residents told reporters they want faster action after a string of collisions earlier this year, per TMJ4.
What’s Next in Court
Jackson is scheduled to return to Milwaukee County court for sentencing in May 2026, when a judge will decide his punishment on the charges tied to the plea and the counts read into the record. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to present arguments at that hearing, with court records and local reporting outlining the timeline and case details.
