Milwaukee man killed in crash of vehicle taken in carjacking

Jesse Garza | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A Milwaukee man was killed when a vehicle taken in a carjacking crashed into a tree on the city's west side, officials said Thursday.

Devonta D. Blackwell, 20, was the passenger in the front seat of a gold 2007 Cadillac DTS that crashed shortly after 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 4000 block of W. Highland Blvd., according to the Milwaukee County medical examiner's office and Milwaukee police.

A passenger in the car was hospitalized in critical condition, according to police, who were seeking a man who was driving the vehicle and fled after the crash.

The car was taken at gunpoint in a carjacking shortly after 10:30 a.m. June 28 in the 200 block of N. 35th St., police said.

A handgun, a loaded Cobra CB38 Derringer, was found under the front seat of the car, along with several cell phones on the driver's side, according to a medical examiner's report.

Police believe the vehicle was being driven at a high rate of speed when the driver was unable to negotiate a curve in the road and struck a tree.

The driver is believed to have been involved in the carjacking, according to police, who described him as black, 19 to 24 years old, 5 feet 8 to 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighing about 160 pounds, with braided hair.

He was wearing a black, zip-up hooded sweatshirt, a white shirt, red pants and red shoes, and is believed to have been injured in the crash, police said.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Milwaukee police at (414) 935-7360.