SHEBOYGAN, WI (Wisconsin Radio Network)- A Sheboygan father is facing charges after two young children tumbled out of a van he was driving.
Robert Horsch was charged Thursday in Sheboygan County Court with two felony counts of neglecting a child causing bodily harm, and a count of operating a vehicle while revoked. He was also charged with his fifth offense of drunk driving.
The criminal complaint says Police were called to the roundabout after learning two children had fallen out of the back of a van, while the van continued to drive. When officers got there, they found a1-year-old and 3-year-old who were injured, and taken to the hospital to be treated.
Alexis Heckert was driving behind the van, and she and a friend helped pull the children, ages one and three, out of harm’s way.
“The back opened up, and two little babies fell out, Heckert said. “I picked one of the babies up, he was completely naked.”
One child was treated and released to relatives, but the other suffered a skull fracture and was taken to a Milwaukee hospital.
Police were able to locate Horsch at his home, where he told officers he couldn’t find two of his children.
Sheboygan County Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Smathers says he was oblivious to the fact that he only had one child with him.
“When he got home he actually removed her from the vehicle and brought her inside and took care of her, still without realizing that the other two children were not there.”
Officers told him what had happened at the roundabout, and he said he wasn’t sure how that might have happened, but said it was his fault.
He was taken into custody, and told investigators that he did see the two children out of their car seats, playing, but did not stop to buckle them in.
