A fatal crash near Prairie du Sac in July 2012 has resulted in homicide charges against a Windsor man. The 28-year-old driver has been charged with felony homicide by negligent vehicle operation in connection with the wrongful death of a 17-year-old victim. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
Accident reconstruction experts determined that the driver was traveling 24 miles per hour over the speed limit just before he was involved in the fatal accident. The victim, a young man from Northbrook, Illinois, was killed when the driver struck his vehicle at the intersection of Highway 188 and Highway 60 near West Point. The at-fault driver was determined to have been driving 69 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone.
Investigators showed that the victim stopped at a stop sign then proceeded into the intersection to cross the highway. A pickup truck on his left prevented him from seeing the oncoming car. However, had the driver been traveling at a safe rate of speed, the victim would have had time to clear the intersection, or the driver would have had time to avoid the collision. The Wisconsin Highway Patrol stated that the driver passed three speed limit signs prior to the crash, each of which read 45 miles per hour.
A person who has caused a fatal accident may be liable for damages if the family members of the victim file a wrongful death lawsuit. A personal injury attorney may represent the family members in their efforts to collect damages, including sums for emotional distress and costs associated with medical bills, funeral expenses, and lost future income and support.
Source: Baraboo News Republic, “Former Lodi man to face homicide charge in car crash“, Shannon Green, May 31, 2013
