Wife of pastor killed in crash caused by intoxicated red light runner breaks down in testimony
The wife of Aaron Strong, a Wisconsin pastor who died in a car crash caused by a 23-year-old man driving through red lights while intoxicated, made an emotional appeal to lawmakers at the state Capitol to pass a pair of bills that would increase the penalty for reckless driving.
As Abbie Strong held up a picture of her family — the last one taken before her husband Aaron was killed in October — she broke down in front of lawmakers this week, NBC Milwaukee affiliate TMJ4 reported.
“So reckless that the driver was driving over 70 miles per hour on the wrong side of the road through four red lights before colliding with his Nissan sedan,” she said about the crash that killed her 40-year-old husband, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in downtown Milwaukee, on Oct. 12, 2022.
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Last week, Jose Silva, who crashed into the pastor’s car, pleaded guilty. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 20. Silva had previously been charged with second-degree reckless homicide.
The pastor died at a local hospital and an autopsy suggested he died from multiple blunt-force injuries. Authorities estimated Silva was speeding at 74 mph just before the accident, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said at the time. He told police he was running late for jury duty at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.
Surveillance from Marquette University showed Silva’s car speeding prior to the crash, according to the complaint, which also said he didn’t apply the brakes until two seconds before the crash. The video also showed the car running a red light while driving the wrong way.
Prosecutors said he ran four red lights before crashing into the pastor’s car while intoxicated.
“My son is not going to get to go on that camping, backpacking adventure this summer,” Abbie was quoted as saying. “My daughter’s not going to have her dad walk her down the aisle. So I need to do my part to prevent other families from having to face that loss.”
There are two pending bills related to reckless driving. The first bill would double the maximum fine for reckless driving citations, as well as increase the maximum jail sentence for certain felony-reckless driving offenses. The second bill would permit cities to pass ordinances authorizing police to tow vehicles if a person is caught driving recklessly and has an outstanding unpaid fine for a previous reckless driving offense.
Abbie said she feels responsible for representing her husband and other families who have suffered similar losses. She believes that since they are not the first family to experience such tragedy, it is crucial for her to be the face and voice of their cause.
She added that although the two bills might not eradicate reckless driving, they would still have an impact.
Grace Downtown announced Strong’s death on Facebook last October, asking people to “keep Abbie Strong and their children, Hannah and Elijah, in your prayers.”
“Like Job, the question ‘Why?’ troubles all of us regarding this tragedy. Like Job, we are reminded that our majestic God does not always provide an answer to that question. But what brings us everlasting comfort is that God’s mercy shines as bright as his majesty,” stated the church.
The Rev. Brian Hackmann, an outreach pastor at Grace, remembered Pastor Strong as “a person that was full of joy.”
“He was full of life,” Hackman was quoted as saying. “He had a smile on his face, an infectious laugh. He was a person that was pretty easy to get along with. … He had the love of Jesus in his heart in a big way.”
