APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A motorist who drove the wrong way on I-41, allegedly causing the crash which killed one person, faces a charge of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle.
Rosalie Polsin, 78, had an initial court appearance Tuesday for the Nov. 5 crash which killed Austin Lavicka Luehring, 27. She returns to court Aug. 29 for a preliminary hearing, court records show.
Police responded to the crash in the southbound lanes of I-41, near Lynndale Drive, about 10:20 p.m. that night. Polsin was driving northbound in the southbound lanes, according to the complaint.
“(Polsin) stated she was currently taking Oxycontin and Tylenol due to her surgery in the hospital and was occasionally confused but had been consenting to all procedures at the hospital and was in a good state of mind to answer questions,” the complaint states. “Trooper Gorski started his interview asking Rosalie if she remembered the night of the accident. She stated she realized immediately upon getting onto the ramp that she was going the wrong way. She stated that she was not able to find a place to tum [sic] around due to the walls from construction in the area. She stated she was aware of the other vehicles that were coming at her and looked for a crossover but was unable to find one. She stated she did not remember attempting to slow down prior to the collision.”
“Rosalie stated she knew she was on College Avenue prior to going the wrong way. When asked what road she had turned onto she initially did not seem to know, but when asked if she knew she had gotten onto I41 she stated she was aware. She stated she believed she was going 45 to 50 miles per hour because she was scared from the vehicles going past her. She stated that she wished she had turned around immediately on the ramp when she realized she was going the wrong way,” the complaint states.
The victim’s family has launched a program, called “497 Austin Alert,” to raise awareness about the dangers of wrong-way drivers.
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