Franklin fatal drunk driving crash, man sentenced to prison

A Milwaukee County judge sentenced a man to prison on Friday for a head-on, drunk driving crash that killed another driver in Franklin.Leonel Molina Rios, 60, avoided trial when he pleaded guilty to homicide by use of a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration, and a different felony was dismissed as part of a deal with prosecutors, in March. Another felony count was dismissed "per operation of law," according to court records.FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.On May 22, Milwaukee County Judge David Borowski sentenced Molina Rios to 12 years in prison and another six years of extended supervision. The Franklin police and fire departments were called to the scene near Lovers Lane and Rawson around 6:40 p.m. on Nov. 2, 2024. A criminal complaint states there were two SUVs with significant front-end damage.Prosecutors said the driver of one of the SUVs – identified as a 74-year-old Franklin man – died at the scene. The driver and lone occupant of the other SUV – since identified as Molina Rios – was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and into custody.The complaint said Wisconsin State Patrol Technical Reconstruction Unit members determined Molina Rios was driving northbound on Lover Lane Road, crossed the centerline and hit the victim's SUV head on. While at the hospital, police interviewed Molina Rios. Prosecutors said he told investigators that he had been at a bar after work and had two shots of whiskey and three beers – and believed he was impaired when he drove away from the bar. A blood sample was collected as evidence.SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 NewsCourt filings said an employee told police she left the bar before Molina Rios did that day, but she served him at least four beers and two shots of whiskey.A review of Wisconsin Department of Transportation records found Molina Rios did not have a driver's license, per the complaint. Molina Rios also admitted to investigators that he knew he was driving without a valid license at the time of the crash.