Driver charged with drug-related homicide by vehicle in Calumet County crash

PC: Fox 11 Online

CHILTON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Abigail Wilcox faces a count of homicide by vehicle with use of a controlled substance – for marijuana she smoked several days earlier – for allegedly causing the Sept. 3 traffic crash which killed Nancy Wesener.

Wilcox, 18, is scheduled to make an initial appearance June 22 for the crash in Rantoul, court records show.

According to the criminal complaint, emergency crews responded to County E and Irish Road for a crash.

The driver of a truck, which was stopped at the intersection, said Wilcox’s vehicle entered the intersection, and was struck by Wesener’s vehicle. Wesener, 89, died at the scene.

Wilcox said she stopped at the stop sign.

“Abigail stated she saw the semi stopped at the stop sign at the north side of the intersection and the semi was not moving. Abigail said she did not know why he was not proceeding, so she proceeded to pull out from the intersection. Abigail said that when she did so, she was then struck, t-boned, by an eastbound vehicle, that vehicle being the Pontiac Grand Prix. Abigail stated this caused her vehicle to crash into the front of the semi and then ended up in the ditch. Abigail stated that she did not see the silver Grand Prix approaching the intersection and believed that her vision was obscured by the tall corn in the field. When talking to Abigail, Deputy Matuszak did not detect any signs of impairment,” the complaint states.

Wilcox told police she had not been drinking, but had smoked marijuana about four days before the crash. A blood test confirmed the presence of THC in her system.

Unlike alcohol, where there are permissible limits, because marijuana is illegal in Wisconsin, any detectable amount can result in criminal charges.

Crash data shows Wilcox’s vehicle had been stopped five seconds before the crash, and was going 27 mph when the crash happened. Wesener’s vehicle was going at about 71 mph just before the crash, the complaint states.

If convicted of this count, Wilcox faces a minimum of 5 years in prison, and up to 25 years in the prison system.