Elijah Schanau (Oconto Co. Jail)
OCONTO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The pickup driver who struck a UTV, killing that driver, had a blood alcohol nearly three times the legal limit, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday.
Elijah Schanau told police the UTV was in his lane, but it was too late to swerve when he came around the corner.
Schanau, 24, was charged with one count of homicide by intoxicated use a motor vehicle for the Sunday crash in Pensaukee. The victim was identified in the complaint as “JDL Liegeois.”
Schanau is scheduled to make an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon.
According to the criminal complaint, police were called to a crash at 3:26 a.m. Sunday at Old 41 Road and Wood Road between a pickup truck and UTV.
Police interviewed Schanau at the scene, to which “he stated he was at a bean bag tournament in Oconto earlier on in the morning, had a few alcoholic drinks, was headed home, and hit something,” the complaint states. “Elijah stated that he was driving and saw headlights coming at him and by the time he realized the lights were in his lane it was too late and he hit the UTV.”
Field sobriety tests were done, then Schanau scored a .238% on a preliminary breath test, nearly three times the legal limit of .08. A blood draw was performed, as well, but results are not cited in the complaint.
The victim had left a bar, took a friend home, and then was headed home himself when the crash happened.
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