MIDDLETON, WI, (April 23, 2026) — A 68-year-old woman, identified as Esperanza Cruz Herbas De Alpire, died Thursday morning after being struck by a vehicle in a pedestrian crash in Middleton, according to the Middleton Police Department.
Officials said the incident occurred at approximately 5:58 a.m. at the intersection of Branch Street and Century Avenue, where Herbas De Alpire was crossing the roadway when she was hit by a vehicle.
Authorities reported that she suffered blunt force trauma to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following a preliminary investigation, police determined that the driver, Tanna Torrez-Centeno, 25, of Middleton, was operating the vehicle without a valid driver’s license. She was arrested and charged with knowingly operating a motor vehicle without a valid license causing death, a Class H felony.
Officials also noted that Department of Transportation records show Torrez-Centeno had previously been cited and convicted in the Village of Waunakee Municipal Court.
The Middleton Police Department and the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office continue to investigate the incident.
