A Milwaukee man with a prior deadly driving conviction is set to be sentenced Thursday after pleading guilty in the hit-and-run death of his ex-girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter. The case has followed a grim arc from a north-side street crossing to a fleeing suspect, a high-speed chase and now a courtroom decision on punishment.
Donald Crayton, 33, reached a plea deal in May and was convicted of second-degree reckless homicide and two hit-and-run counts, with four other charges dismissed, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee. Milwaukee County Judge Laura Crivello is scheduled to sentence him Thursday, while co-defendant Adriana Merkel, 23, previously pleaded guilty to fleeing police and received three years of probation.
The crash happened on April 30, 2024, as Gloria Hymes and her daughter, Zekani Hymes-Wilson, were crossing Teutonia Avenue near Vera Avenue to get pizza. The Wisconsin Circuit Court criminal complaint says Hymes suffered serious leg injuries, while Zekani died at the scene despite resuscitation attempts.
Security video showed the vehicle stop after striking the pair, with a man and woman getting out and running toward the victims before the driver returned to the car and sped away. As detailed by Spectrum News 1, police later found Crayton’s damaged Chevrolet Impala abandoned on railroad tracks, then arrested him after a pursuit that ended in Wauwatosa.
The case also revived attention to Crayton’s driving history. CBS 58 reported that he had previously been convicted after hitting and killing Milwaukee man Daryl Tharpe in 2018, serving about 10 months of a five-year sentence; court records in the current case also showed Crayton had never held a valid driver’s license.
What Thursday’s sentencing will decide
Crayton’s plea resolved the question of guilt, but Judge Crivello will determine the punishment at Thursday’s hearing. Milwaukee County’s victim-rights guidance says victims may provide oral or written statements at sentencing, adding another closely watched moment for Hymes’ family nearly two years after Zekani’s death.
