OCONTO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A motorist who said he was looking for his cell phone when his car crossed the center line – killing the operator of an oncoming motorcycle – was convicted Monday.
Michael Musial, 33, pleaded no contest to homicide by use of a vehicle for the June 30 crash in Mountain which killed Mark Roovers, 61, of Appleton.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 2, court records show.
“Musial informed Deputy Zahn that he had looked down attempting to find his cell phone so he could call his employer. He said he was looking on his passenger seat and passenger floor board after he was unable to locate the phone between his legs on his driver’s seat. Musial advised the next thing he knew his airbags exploded and he realized he had struck something hard. He said that he ended up in the ditch on the left side of the roadway. He said that his engine was screaming and he shut off his car. He said that after getting out of his vehicle he observed the motorcycle laying on its side with a guy beside it,” the complaint states.
Musial said he was tired and had only a couple hours of sleep prior to driving from the Lake Mills area. There is no mention of alcohol use in the complaint.
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