OCONTO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A jury convicted an Oconto Falls man Friday for a fatal drunken driving crash in 2022.
Thomas Wolf, 59, was found guilty of three counts, including homicide by intoxicated use a vehicle and third offense of operating while intoxicated, for the crash which killed Bart Erdman.
A sentencing date was not immediately set. Wolf did not testify at the trial, court records state.
The crash happened around 8:45 p.m. Aug. 3, 2022, on County Highway I near Beaver Lake Road in the town of Oconto Falls. When deputies and first responders arrived on scene, they saw a truck and motorcycle in the east ditch of County Highway I.
The preliminary investigation showed a pickup truck, driven by Wolf, was traveling south on County Highway I when it rear-ended Erdman’s motorcycle, which was also traveling south.
“Thomas indicated he was traveling south on County Highway I when he all of a sudden saw a bright light come out of nowhere. Thomas believed the light was red but was not certain. Thomas indicated he was traveling at approximately 50 MPH. When Thomas saw the light he attempted to stop his pickup truck. Thomas did not remember anything specific after seeing the bright light but did remember his pickup truck overturning and coming to rest in the ditch,” the complaint states.
A breath test at the scene revealed a BAC of .124%. Blood test results are not cited in the complaint.
Wolf had prior OWI convictions from 1992 and 1994, the complaint states.
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