Ex-Milwaukee Transit Driver Sentenced to Prison for Fatal Drunk Driving Crash
- A Milwaukee County judge sentenced former Milwaukee County Transit System bus driver Dameon Peters to six years in prison and four years of extended supervision following a fatal...
- Greenfield police responded to the intersection of 56th Street and Forest Home Avenue at approximately 6:45 p.m.
- Court filings detailing MCTS bus video footage show that Peters began his shift at 3 p.m.
A Milwaukee County judge sentenced former Milwaukee County Transit System bus driver Dameon Peters to six years in prison and four years of extended supervision following a fatal 2025 collision that killed 61-year-old George Kayser. Peters pleaded guilty in August to homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration after toxicology results showed his blood alcohol concentration was 0.236 at the time of the crash.
Crash Details at 56th and Forest Home Avenue
Greenfield police responded to the intersection of 56th Street and Forest Home Avenue at approximately 6:45 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2025. According to the criminal complaint, bystanders had already begun performing CPR on Kayser in the middle of the street when officers arrived to take over lifesaving efforts. Emergency responders transported Kayser to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An officer at the scene spoke with Peters after a bystander reported that an MCTS bus may have struck the pedestrian. Prosecutors stated that Peters told police he was driving the bus when he saw someone walk into the intersection. He attempted to steer away from the individual but heard a thud, only realizing someone might have been hit after seeing a person lying down in his rearview mirror. Peters then stopped the vehicle and contacted MCTS for assistance. Police transported him to a hospital for a consensual blood draw taken just before 8 p.m., which yielded a 0.236 BAC reading according to the Wisconsin State Crime Lab.
Bus Video Evidence and Termination
Court filings detailing MCTS bus video footage show that Peters began his shift at 3 p.m. and drove continuously until the collision at 6:47 p.m. Prosecutors noted that Peters appeared to be squinting or struggling to focus on driving at various points during the shift, and the bus briefly drifted over the white line separating the bike lane from traffic and hit a curb. Footage from inside the bus showed Peters blinking and squinting heavily as Kayser crossed Forest Home Avenue. After making a slight turn away from the victim, the exterior camera captured the side of the bus striking Kayser. Following the impact sound, video showed Peters appearing more alert as he brought the bus to a stop and asked if he had hit a person.