Left: Shanton Lay (WTMJ). Right: Keiarria Travis (GoFundMe).
A Wisconsin man is currently in custody after a tragic incident in which he fatally struck a woman celebrating her birthday while driving at high speed with a revoked license, according to authorities.
Shanton Lay, 34, faces charges of knowingly driving with a revoked license resulting in death, along with a hit-and-run charge. Law enforcement records, including a probable cause arrest affidavit accessed by Law&Crime, detail that Milwaukee police officers were dispatched shortly before 12:30 a.m. on October 11th to a report of a pedestrian accident in the 7200 block of 76th Street.
Upon arrival, officers discovered Keiarria Travis unconscious and struggling to breathe. Despite efforts from first responders to save her, she tragically died at the scene.
Video evidence reviewed by investigators shows the victim crossing the road and pausing in the median. As she advanced into the northbound lanes, a dark-colored vehicle traveling at a “high rate of speed” appeared on camera, colliding with her. The driver continued northward without stopping, authorities report.
Later that same day, at approximately 2:40 p.m., the suspect approached a Milwaukee police officer outside the District 4 station. He identified himself and confessed to being involved in the fatal incident, according to the affidavit.
“I f—ing killed somebody,” he reportedly admitted.
Lay said he “panicked” and fled the scene, cops wrote. He told the cops where he parked the car — he had been driving his girlfriend’s Mazda. Cops located the vehicle, which had “extreme front end damage.”
In an interview with cops, Lay said he had just left his friend’s house and was driving to the club Prime Social when he struck a woman who was “simply standing in the road, and he did not see her until it was too late.” He admitted to driving away after the crash, but claimed he had not been drinking or doing drugs on the night in question.
“He said that his mind kind of went blank, he was scared, and he drove off,” cops wrote.
Lay also allegedly said his license was revoked due to a prior DUI.
Travis was just two days shy of her 26th birthday and had been at the same club where the suspect was headed, police said. A GoFundMe account described Travis as a “vibrant” singer.
“Keiarria was more than just a talented artist — she was a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a dreamer who inspired everyone around her,” the tribute said. “With a voice that could move hearts and lyrics drawn from her soul, she was chasing her dream of touching the world through music. Every performance, every note she sang carried the passion and hope of someone destined for greatness.”
Lay is at the Milwaukee County Jail on a $30,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for Monday.
