MILWAUKEE, WI – A Milwaukee man is facing a homicide charge after authorities say he intentionally ran over his long-time roommate with a pickup truck in broad daylight, dragging the victim more than 100 feet as stunned bystanders looked on.
Chad Michael Martinez, 54, was arrested earlier this month and has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the death of 50-year-old John Bacher, according to court documents.
Police responded to the intersection of South Muskego Avenue and West Burnham Street around 5:15 p.m. on August 10 following multiple calls reporting a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle and severely injured. Emergency responders from the Milwaukee Fire Department attempted to revive Bacher, but he was pronounced dead while en route to the hospital.
Witnesses at the scene described a chaotic incident in which a beige Ford F-150 pickup truck was seen driving erratically before hitting Bacher. One man, who was riding a tricycle nearby, said he first noticed the truck near a local car dealership before seeing it again moments before the fatal collision. The witness told investigators the driver of the pickup appeared to deliberately swerve around another vehicle and accelerate toward Bacher, striking him in the middle of the crosswalk.
After Bacher was hit, the truck reportedly continued moving in a zigzag pattern for about a hundred feet, dragging the victim underneath before dislodging him on the far side of the intersection. The witness said the driver then appeared to run over Bacher a second time before speeding away from the scene.
Responding officers used surveillance video from the area to confirm the witness accounts. Authorities say the footage made it clear that the driver intentionally targeted Bacher. Investigators traced the pickup truck’s dealer license plates to the nearby El Jaliscience dealership.
Police found the Ford F-150 parked at the dealership with its engine running. Chad Martinez was discovered inside the vehicle, unconscious, with his head leaning back and his mouth open. Investigators observed that Martinez smelled heavily of alcohol and urine and appeared disoriented as he exited the truck. Subsequent testing reportedly showed Martinez’s blood alcohol content at 0.215, nearly three times Wisconsin’s legal limit.
Officers also documented blood on the truck’s bumper consistent with having hit a pedestrian.
During a police interview, Martinez revealed that Bacher had been his roommate and co-worker at the dealership for 25 years. Martinez claimed no recollection of the incident, saying he only remembered drinking whiskey earlier in the day and later waking to police conducting sobriety tests.
Martinez described spending the previous night working with Bacher and returning home in the morning, before falling asleep and drinking heavily throughout the afternoon. He said that after a trip to a grocery store with Bacher, the two returned home, where he continued to consume alcohol and passed out.
Following his arrest, a judge set Martinez’s cash bond at $250,000, and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for August 25. Martinez remains in custody as the investigation continues.