OAK CREEK, WI — Authorities say a driver who struck and killed a motorcycle rider on I-94 Friday tried hiding in the back of his SUV to avoid capture. Authorities also say he has been charged multiple times for driving-related incidents.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County, deputies were dispatched to the northbound lanes of I-94 at Drexel Ave. on the afternoon of Aug. 23 on a report of a serious crash.
Police said the crash involved a maroon 2000 Ford Excursion with Kentucky license plates and a black 2017 Harley-Davidson trike. The rider of that trike, Sarah T. McGraw, died the following day as a result of her injuries, authorities said.
The driver of the Ford Excursion, Tiondras Dyson, has been arrested and charged in court. He has been charged with operating a motor vehicle while revoked – causing death. If convicted, Dyson faces up to three years behind bars. Dyson is currently being held on a $25,000 cash bond, according to jail records.
Authorities say McGraw and her husband and his friends were on their way up to Egg Harbor in Door County for the weekend. They met up at a Kwik Trip in Kenosha and then began their trek north along I-94 on that Friday afternoon in a group of four motorcycles.
According to the criminal complaint, McGraw’s husband noticed a maroon SUV struggling to maintain its lane in the construction zone. The group of four motorcyclists told investigators that the didn’t feel comfortable driving near Dyson’s SUV. They passed him, and then rode in front of him.
Investigators say traffic quickly slowed down near Drexel Ave. in Oak Creek. One of the motorcyclists said Dyson’s vehicle came up on them quickly, and struck McGraw’s trike from behind.
According to the criminal complaint, as McGraw’s husband cradled his dying wife in his arms as Dyson ran from the accident scene.
Police said they arrived on the scene and immediately rendered aid and transported her to the hospital with serious injuries. Next, investigators began searching Dyson’s vehicle in an attempt to learn his identity and then track him down.
According to the criminal complaint, a detective began searching the SUV for clues. As the detective began to remove clothing items from the rear passenger seat, he saw a pair of shoes. The detective continued removing items, and discovered first a pair of legs, and then “the entirety of the defendant hiding beneath a blanket and clothing items.”
Dyson was then arrested, police said.
Court records show that Dyson’s drivers license was revoked in Dec. 2011 following a drunken driving conviction. Additional records show that Dyson was convicted in Illinois in 2017 for driving with a revoked license and then again in May 2018 in Wisconsin for the same thing. Court records also show that Dyson has a pending case in Marathon County for driving with a revoked license in addition and drunken driving.
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