Rep. Goodwin: “How many more pedestrians have to die?”

Goodwin Mourns 21-Year-Old Iyanah Pryor, Calls for Statewide Action on Reckless Driving

MILWAUKEE, WI. – State Representative Russell Antonio Goodwin, Sr. issued the following statement following the death of Iyanah Pryor, a 21-year-old Certified Nursing Assistant and mother of a two-year-old child, who was struck and killed by a vehicle Tuesday morning:

“My heart is broken for the family of Iyanah Pryor. She was only 21 years old. She was a CNA who dedicated herself to caring for others, and most importantly, she was the mother of a two-year-old child who now has to grow up without their mother. This has to stop!

While law enforcement must complete its investigation and determine the exact circumstance that led to Iyanah being struck and killed, one fact is painfully clear: our streets must be safer for pedestrians, children, families, and every person who uses them.

For years, Milwaukee families have lived with the consequences of dangerous driving, excessive speeds, red-light running, irresponsible passing, hit-and-runs, and other dangerous behavior behind the wheel. We cannot become numb every time another family receives the call that their loved one is never coming home.

We have mourned too many pedestrians: Amy Austin. May Daiber. Jimmie Betties. Lorenzo Martin. Nora Winkels. Behind every name is a family whose life changed forever. How many more pedestrians have to die before we treat dangerous driving with the urgency it demands?

Today, I am calling on Governor Tony Evers to formally recognize reckless and dangerous driving as a public health crisis in Wisconsin and bring state agencies, local governments, law enforcement, public-health professionals, community organizations, and lawmakers together around a comprehensive statewide response. We must treat this with the urgency we give any other crisis that repeatedly takes lives and leaves families traumatized.

This means prevention. It means enforcement. It means accountability for repeat dangerous drivers. It means safer street design. It means protecting pedestrians. And it means making sure state and local governments have the resources necessary to save lives.

I have worked on legislation aimed at confronting reckless driving, and I will continue working on solutions to solve this problem. But legislation alone cannot replace the urgency this moment requires. Iyanah Pryor should be alive today. A two-year-old child should still have their mother. People should be able to walk down or cross a street without losing their lives.

I extend my deepest condolences to Iyanah’s child, family, friends, coworkers, and everyone grieving this devastating loss. Enough is enough. We need answers. We need accountability. And we need safer streets now.”