Left inset: William Lee (Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office). Right inset: Elaine Corbitt (GoFundMe). Background: The car that William Lee obliterated in Milwaukee, Wis., while riding with slain mother of five Elaine Corbitt (WISN/YouTube).
A mother of five in Wisconsin who was riding in the front seat of a car with a drunk driver was left badly mangled after the vehicle they were in struck a tree â with the man behind the wheel going nearly 100 mph in a 25 mph zone, cops say. The Milwaukee mom died at the scene after suffering blunt force injuries to her head, neck, chest, abdomen, back and pelvis.
William Lee, 60, is charged with one count of first-degree reckless homicide after killing 41-year-old Elaine Corbitt in a crash near 93rd Street and Wilbur Avenue on Jan. 13 following an evening of drinking, according to court documents obtained by local NBC affiliate WTMJ.
Lee allegedly admitted to cops that he consumed several beers leading up to the crash after failing a field sobriety test. Data obtained from his car showed that he was traveling at a speed of 98.8 mph in the seconds before hitting the tree, the court documents say.
Lee allegedly never engaged the brake and applied 100 percent throttle, according to investigators.
"Elaine Corbitt, a devoted mother of five … was tragically taken from us in a car crash in Milwaukee," a GoFundMe for Corbitt's family says. "Elaine was … full of love, laughter, and a deep passion for her family. She poured her whole heart into caring for her children, lifting up everyone around her, and making every moment count. Her passing has left a hole in our family that nothing can fill."
Police say the posted speed limit was 25 mph in the area where Lee lost control of his vehicle and crashed. A debris trail that spanned almost an entire city block allegedly led cops to the scene, local CBS affiliate WDJT reports.
The hood of Lee's car was allegedly found about 115 feet away from the vehicle in the backyard of a residence. A home that was around 75 feet away was also struck by parts of the car, cops say.
Lee was taken to a hospital for assessment after the crash and charged soon after.
A witness who spoke to cops allegedly recounted seeing Lee's car speeding down the road and almost striking them and other motorists. Drivers passing by at the time of the crash said the impact sent Lee's vehicle flying backward before it caught on fire.
"This is called a lesson for the city and it's a lesson for all the drivers out there," Corbitt's brother, Michael Corbitt, told WDJT. "It's sad that we had to tragically lose our sister," he said. "I didn't think I would lose her like this. I didn't think we would lose our baby sister to a horrific car accident."
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