APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A mother who was driving 86 mph in a 55 mph zone seconds before the crash which killed her son was convicted Tuesday.
Crystal Draheim, 34, pleaded no contest to homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle for the May 9, 2019 crash in the town of Ellington. Charges were filed Aug. 31, 2020. Draheim’s son, Noah Taylor, 10, was killed in the three-vehicle crash on Highway 15.
Prosecutors and the defense will make a joint recommendation for probation, according to the terms of the plea deal recited in court by the judge. The maximum sentence would 10 years in the prison system, including five years initial confinement.
A reckless driving count was dismissed.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 1.
According to the criminal complaint, traffic was backed up on Highway 15 as motorists waited for a truck to turn left. Draheim’s vehicle crashed into a pickup truck before being deflected head-on into a school bus. Taylor, who was in the backseat, was killed.
No students were on the school bus.
“The defendant was negligent in the operation of the Dodge Charger in that the airbag control module (ACM) from the Dodge Charger indicated that the Dodge Charger was operating at 86 miles per hour 5 seconds prior to the crash with the Chevrolet pickup. At 3.5 seconds prior to the crash, the driver activated the brake. The vehicle was traveling 67 mph at the time of collision with the Chevrolet pickup. The speed limit in the area of the crash was 55 mph for both directions of travel.
Peter M. Moe, an accident reconstruction expert for the Wisconsin State Patrol stated, “at nearly 31 mph over the speed limit, the excessive speed of the Dodge was a significant causal factor in the collision sequence.” Mr. Moe further stated “if the Dodge was operating at the posted limit of 55 mph at the start of the event, and responded in the same manner as reported in the ACM, it would have stopped approximately 67 feet short of colliding with the Chevrolet, thus avoiding the eventual impact with the Thomas school bus,” the complaint states.
The criminal complaint does not include any comments from Draheim.
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