PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. — Judge Richard “Dick” Ginkowski — a retired prosecutor and former law enforcement officer — said Wednesday night that a semi-truck driver narrowly avoided causing a fatal crash after running a red light in Pleasant Prairie, but the only penalty the court could impose was a $111.40 fine.
(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Richard Ginkowski described the case as “bone chilling” while presiding over the trial in municipal court.
The incident occurred on May 24, 2025, at approximately 9:46 a.m., at the intersection of Highways 165 and H. A Pleasant Prairie police officer testified that the defendant’s semi entered the intersection against a red signal and missed striking his patrol car by only a few feet. Squad car video shown in court depicted the semi traveling through the intersection without slowing down.
According to testimony, the driver said he was traveling between 40 and 45 miles per hour. Evidence presented in court indicated the truck was hauling between 40,000 and 50,000 pounds of cargo at the time.
The defendant did not deny failing to stop at the red light. Instead, according to statements made in open court, he focused on the “points” that would be assessed to his driving record if convicted — a three-point minor traffic violation.
“I Would Have Been Dead”
Body-worn camera footage from the officer who conducted the stop captures his immediate reaction after the near collision.
“I would have been dead,” the officer said on camera.
He explained that a semi attempting a turn had partially obstructed his view of northbound traffic. Although he had a solid green light, he hesitated before entering the intersection because he could not clearly see approaching vehicles.
As he began to proceed, the semi entered the intersection against the red signal at full speed, according to both the officer’s account and the citation. The officer said the truck “flew past” him and did not slow down or give any warning.
“I literally see my life flash before my eyes,” he said. “If it wasn’t me, someone else at the intersection would have been killed.”
Judge Says Law Limits Court Authority
Ginkowski told the courtroom the driver was “very lucky” no one had been injured or killed.
He said that if someone had been seriously injured or killed — which he said easily could have happened — the driver would have been facing prison time.
The judge also addressed what he described as limits placed on the court by state law. He explained that in the past, judges had discretion to suspend a driver’s license for up to one year in egregious right-of-way cases that threatened public safety. However, after the passage of 2017 Act 105 by the Wisconsin Legislature, courts no longer have that authority for certain right-of-way violations.
Under current law, drivers convicted of specified violations must complete a traffic safety course or face a suspension lasting up to five years, or until the course is completed. The statute removed the court’s ability to independently suspend a license in such cases.
Judges do not make laws and cannot legislate from the bench, Ginkowski said, noting that the Legislature sets penalties. But he made clear that in this case, despite what he characterized as an “egregious” and potentially lethal violation, his only option was to impose the statutory maximum fine: $40 plus costs, totaling $111.40.
For comparison, the maximum penalty for an expired license plate on a truck is $691.
The defendant was ordered to complete traffic safety school, which can be taken online.
54 Responses
So who is gonna write to Robin vos?
What a fool! So glad the police officer didn’t get hurt or killed! This dude was probably looking at his phone when he ran the red light!
The legislature is wrapping up its work until next year so new bills aren’t going to get through.
dumbf… so get it on for the next time… just a df.
The appropriate legislators have already been contacted.
“The defendant” should be named, because if nothing else, the community can humiliate the shit out of him, and even if he doesn’t lose his license, he should definitely lose his job.
Stfu. This community is too pussy to name kids who come to school with guns and their parents….but yeah, let’s name every person who runs red lights (quite ironic considering cops do it all the time).
If a truck driver runs a red light and kills someone, that person dies. His truck was used as a weapon.
If a person uses a firearm to kill someone, that person dies. The gun was the weapon.
Neither person is less dead than the other. Both equally tragic. Neither weapon was less deadly. Both avoidable if used responsibly. Used irresponsibly, they did irreversible damage and ended lives.
Don’t act like traffic laws are unimportant- they’re there for a reason, to prevent people from being injured or killed. When people choose to ignore these laws, the damage is the same as using a gun to end a life.
I wish the police/sheriff’s department in this area cared about the fact that Kenosha County has far too many preventable road deaths, and did more to enforce traffic laws.
Shocking how many illegals who can’t speak any English have their CDL. Once again, thank you Democrats for making are streets so dangerous.
Here there was no indication the trucker was an illegal alien. Wisconsin does not give licenses to illegals.
Ignorant people make ignorant comments. FYI, you can get your CDL in any state which allows you to drive in ANY state.
This guy was from Wisconsin
Yes, they sure fucking do
But…..he didn’t kill anybody. He didn’t even hurt anybody.
I’m glad the officer is OK but let’s not make this out to be something that doesn’t happen 500 times a day in this city.
Did you see the video? That semi carrying 40-50 thousand pounds of cargo zipped through the intersection at 40-45 mph and had it collided with the officer’s patrol car it probably would have been a fatality.
Using that same logic, shooting *at* someone shouldn’t be a big deal, right? As long as the shooter misses?
Actually, the law does it, indeed reward for marksmanship. You get substantially less for shooting at someone and missing then you do for shooting at someone and killing them.
Then why do people care that the kid brought a gun to school? He didn’t even fire it. It was just… there.
Amazing how many people are going crazy on here over this incident. Lets start holding all bad drivers accountable. This is minor compared to what I’ve seen. The grey Tesla in River Oaks (AFG-5307) is going to kill someone someday. Passing on double yellows, pulling in to the subdivision going 70 because they’re being chased by another road rager.
Has this been reported to the PPPD? If this guy is caught doing 70 in a 25 there’s a good chance he’d have his license pulled.
key word, if they are caught. You don’t see traffic enforcement anymore, we’re reverting back to the wild west
THIS IS KEY.
The underwhelming lack of any sort of traffic enforcement within Kenosha County.
Yes, let’s. Let’s start enforcing traffic laws. Let’s have the sheriff’s department do their job.
City buses run the red frequently and are ignored so they can stay on time.
He shouldn’t be writing about his cases online. smh.
To clarify, I meant the Judge, not Kevin.
Kind of related. The turn left on flashing yellow is dangerous at 165 and H and 165 and 31.
If drivers would pay attention to, it wouldn’t be dangerous!! Also the problem stems from all of the traffic lights throughout Pleasant Prairie and Kenosha are all programmed differently. Some the turn arrow comes on first, other intersections it is last, etc. If people would pay more attention or they program all the lights to work the same, there would be fewer accidents!!
In 2017, the Republicans controlled the legislature and the governor’s office.
In the 1960s, the Packers advanced through the playoffs.
Was stopped at red light with marked squad next to me at front of line we both saw a car turn left on a red light during daylight all cop did was shake his head and do nothing so much for protecting us!
If it was KCSO, entirely unsurprising. At least once a week, they fly past me heading west on S, pull into Kwik Trip by the I, and grab a coffee. They do nothing to enforce speeding on Kenosha County’s unregulated racetracks— just contribute to the problem.
https://kenoshacounty.rec.pro.ukg.net/KEN1503KENO/JobBoard/4e530099-014c-450e-81a9-8c4eef82862b/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=a47a6199-d68b-40db-a928-8638dd0072f2
Be the change that you seek to impose on everyone else. The link above is your first step to help make a difference in this world.
Nah, I save lives.
I wish I didn’t spend so much time working on accident victims. Unfortunately, as long as people choose to ignore traffic laws, and since the KCSO doesn’t seem to care how imprudently people drive, lots of people wind up in our ER.
So brave.
“I save lives” what a douche
better than what you do, trashman
lol Hardly 😉; if you only knew.
Your grammar shows me you’re mostly jealous of my education.
oh yeah your so edjumacated
Whatever, I saved a guy’s life just the other day, I didn’t run him over when he parked in a handicap spot and RAN into Menards.
Right, so he should go be a sheriff to inspire change in cops who don’t do shit about this stuff when it happens in front of their faces. Yet, now suddenly there is an article about like it’s some novel thing?
That makes no fucking sense.
Don’t have to want to do the job, to think that the people who HAVE the job should actually DO the job that my tax dollars are paying THEM to DO.
nah, you have supervisors and rules to follow, you think you can just go and make a difference, not that easy bud
That’s because it happens so often throughout their day!!!!
He should have called the state patrol and have the DOT enforcement officer come in there and give him what US truck drivers would call an unlubed level 1 inspection.
Dick Ginkowski blaming our legislature for limiting judicial discretion is the same as Biden blaming our congress for the millions of illegal aliens who violated our borders from 2021-2024; both instances are Democrat lies that only serve to increase the Democrats’ chances of winning elections at the expense of American citizens.
What more could a judge do if the law once allowed a license suspension and no longer does? Hopefully the law will be changed. Biden letting in illegal aliens was his choice to ignore enforcement of the law.
IF republicans made it easier to kill people with motor vehicles like the article seems to say they did and that’s IF …….
Did they REALLY do that??
Where’s the pro-life??
I’m still going to vote Republican but you’re on thin ice with me after seeing this ….
Republicans voting for “Republicans” simply because of the (R) is why things are so messed up. Plenty of really solid candidates have run without a party endorsement, and have lost because the bad republicans (Robin Vos, Sam Kerkman, and the likes) have scared party-line voters into toeing the line.
If people actually took the time to talk to candidates, maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation.
Stop 👋🏼 listening 👋🏼 to 👋🏼 the 👋🏼 parties 👋🏼
Yeah, I don’t do that at all.
I agree with republican candidates 90% of the time.
Democrats are generally nuts 90% of the time.
Stop signs are now optional it seems. No need to stop anymore. Just roll up and take off…
OK, so there’s a hole in the state law. Has anyone asked our legislators what they plan to do about it?
I see big rigs do this almost daily.
I see cars drive like complete lunatics every min I’m on the road.