Milwaukee Journal Sentinel carrier dies in car crash involving reckless driving, police say
Jason Stark never failed to show for his newspaper delivery route, and that would have remained true over the weekend had it not been for what authorities called a reckless driver.
Stark, a 50-year-old carrier for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, was killed while driving to work late Saturday when, police said, a reckless driver crashed into his vehicle on the city’s northwest side. An arrest was made afterward.
“People are probably wondering why they never got his paper,” his mother, Sharon Stark, said Monday. “He’d never done that before. He’s always showed up. He was on his way to work but he never made it.”
Stark was an independent contractor who worked for the Journal Sentinel for more than 10 years in a variety of roles, most recently delivering a route that includes the city of Waukesha.
"We were deeply saddened by Jason's sudden and tragic passing on Saturday. He was a valued Journal Sentinel carrier for seven years, and our family sends heartfelt condolences to his loved ones,” Rob Schafman, the Journal Sentinel distribution director, said in a statement.
Shortly before midnight Saturday, Stark, who lived in Milwaukee, was believed to be driving northwest on West Appleton Avenue and attempted a left turn onto West Burleigh Street, near the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery, according to police and the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Police said a car driven “recklessly” by a 24-year-old woman approached the intersection from the north, on West Appleton Avenue, and crashed into Stark’s car. The impact caused Stark’s car to collide with a third vehicle.
Police said the woman was arrested and potential charges are under review by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
According to his family, Stark grew up in Waukesha and graduated from Lakeland College. Afterward, he spent two years in the military. The Journal Sentinel could not immediately confirm his record of service Monday.
Sharon Stark described her son as a homebody who loved his job delivering newspapers. He recently began considering buying a home and settling down in the small town of Loyal, in Clark County, where her father lived.
“He was a giver and such a nice guy,” she said. “He was helpful with people. He’d give you his arm and legs if he could.”
The crash is the latest apparent example of Milwaukee’s lingering reckless driving issues. Car crashes fell 5% in Milwaukee last year but traffic deaths remain elevated, with 75 reported in 2023.
From 2008 to 2012, Milwaukee had an average of 39 traffic deaths a year. That average has since increased 86%, according to an analysis by Robert Schneider, a professor of urban planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The city had about 72 traffic deaths per year from 2018 through 2022, according to the analysis.
This year, 24 people have died in traffic crashes through Sunday, identical to last year as of the same date, according to police data.
Sharon Stark was at a loss for words for the alleged reckless driving behind in her son’s death.
“This is really hard,” she said. “Why was she driving recklessly? I don’t know. I have no answer.”
Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Journal Sentinel carrier killed in reckless driving crash, police say
