Google AI Identifies Drunk Hit-and-Run Driver Who Left Bicyclist With Severe Injuries in Jackson, WI

A Texas man faces multiple charges in Wisconsin after a drunk hit-and-run on Sept. 3 left a bicyclist with a broken leg, pelvis, and spinal fractures.

Google AI Traces Debris to Nissan Versa After Jackson Hit-and-Run Injures Bicyclist

A Texas man is in custody in Wisconsin on multiple charges after allegedly striking a bicyclist while driving drunk and fleeing the scene, according to Law & Crime. The victim sustained a compound leg fracture as well as fractures to his pelvis and spine.

Duan K. Maiden II, 32, faces charges of hit-and-run resulting in great bodily harm, intoxicated use of a vehicle resulting in great bodily harm, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, and resisting or obstructing an officer, authorities in Washington and Ozaukee Counties said.

The crash

The incident took place on Sept. 3 at the intersection of Western Avenue and Division Road in Jackson — a small town on the northwestern edge of the Milwaukee metro area. According to a criminal complaint filed in Washington County, a witness described Maiden's vehicle as "flying eastbound" and failing to stop at a stop sign before striking the bicyclist. The car, described as a gray sedan, continued eastbound without stopping.

The victim was left at the scene with a compound leg fracture and fractures to both his pelvis and spine, law enforcement said.

Debris leads investigators to the suspect vehicle

A sheriff's deputy recovered several plastic car pieces at the crash site. The parts bore serial numbers, and using Google AI, the deputy determined the fragments likely came from a Nissan Versa. That identification gave investigators a critical early lead.

Later that night, dispatch connected investigators with a man who said he had been a passenger in Maiden's vehicle at the time of the hit-and-run.

What the passenger told law enforcement

According to the complaint, Maiden and the passenger had been working together canvassing neighborhoods for a company connected to the upcoming Wisconsin governor's race. During a break, the passenger said he watched Maiden purchase a bottle of vodka and drink from it. The two then ate pizza and listened to music for more than an hour.

The passenger told law enforcement that at one point, while the car was parked, Maiden left on his own and was "out of sight" for a period. The passenger said that at that stage, aside from his driving behavior, Maiden did not appear intoxicated.

Roughly one mile before the crash, however, Maiden "started acting weird," the complaint states. He began drifting into oncoming lanes, and the passenger had to warn him of approaching traffic. Approaching a stop sign, Maiden slowed but did not fully stop — then accelerated.

When the bicyclist came into view, the passenger estimated they were traveling at 35 to 40 mph. He said "their vehicle was too far in motion to stop" before striking the bicyclist with the front passenger side of the car.

The passenger urged Maiden to stop and call police. Maiden refused.

"The defendant said, 'naw man,' and that 'he's ok,'" the charging document reads. Maiden then drove away from the scene.

Eventually, the passenger got out of the vehicle and called 911.

"The information we got from the passenger, he was telling him you hit that person we need to stop and the driver said we're not stopping we're going," a Washington County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told Milwaukee-based ABC affiliate WISN. "It's hard to believe that someone could do that to another human."

Sobriety tests and blood alcohol level

With the passenger's assistance, law enforcement located Maiden while he was still driving and persuaded him to pull over. Deputies administered field sobriety tests, which Maiden failed on half of the measures, officials said. A preliminary breath test placed his blood alcohol concentration at 0.268% — more than three times Wisconsin's legal limit of 0.08%.

During a subsequent interview, Maiden told investigators he had been canvassing for a company working on the Wisconsin governor's race. He also provided his own account of the break period during which he had been away from the passenger.

"[Maiden] went into the store and bought 4 BuzzBallz alcoholic drinks, which he believed to be about 15% ABV," the complaint states. "The defendant admitted to consuming all four BuzzBallz, and did it outside the presence of Witness 4."

Maiden told investigators he did not remember hitting anyone and did not recall the passenger warning him about the bicyclist.

"The defendant did state that he felt terrible and if he knew he hit someone, he would have stopped," the complaint concludes.

Maiden is currently held at the Ozaukee County Jail.

Source: Law & Crime