of Juneau County
The Messenger COMPETENT COMMUNICATOR AWARD VOL 15, NO. 26
LOOK INSIDE FOR YOUR LOCAL NEWS:
Elroy: Page 4 Mauston: Page 3 New Lisbon: Page 5
Necedah: Page 6 Wonewoc: Page 10 Hillsboro: Page 7
Classifieds: Page 11 Legals: Page 12 & 13
THE AWARD WINNING OFFICIAL LEGAL NEWSPAPER OF JUNEAU COUNTY
Mauston man charged with hit and run BY EVA MARIE WOYWOD On January 28, 2014, 25 year old Wade C. Johnson of Mauston was charged in Juneau County Court with a felony count of hit and run as a repeater. Johnson is scheduled to appear in front Judge John Roemer for an initial appearance on February 5, 2014. According to the criminal complaint on December 21, 2013 Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper Gary Cowan was dispatched to a crash that occurred on the interstate by the Mauston exit. One of the vehicles was positioned at the Mauston Kwik Trip while the other vehicle had fled. When arriving at Kwik Trip the Trooper Cowan met with driver James Buchanan. Buchanan explained that he had been traveling on the interstate going east and exited at Mauston. At the bottom of the ramp, he was waiting at the stop sign to turn right when he was rear ended by the other vehicle. He went on to state that both drivers got out of their vehicles and decided that since both vehicles were still operable they would pull over in the Kiwk Trip parking lot to report the crash. When the vehicles made it to Kwik Trip Buchanan said the other vehicle exited the lot via Kennedy Street and fled. He attempted to follow him but after noting the license plate Buchanan returned to Kwik Trip and phoned law enforcement. Buchanan and his passenger, Lisa Fonk, both have reported to law enforcement whip lash type injuries. Fonk told the trooper that the driver of the fleeing vehicle looked like someone who once attended Hillsboro School where she once taught and that his name was Willie or Wade Johnson. An investigation revealed the fleeing vehicle was registered to Clarence Teumer, however Teumer reported that prior to the accident he had sold the car to Wade Johnson. Teumer did not remove the license plates upon selling the vehicle to Johnson. He also stated to law enforcement that police had contacted him about the vehicle being involved in a gas drive-off. After further investigation, law enforcement was able to locate Johnson through the New Lisbon Probation Office. Trooper Cowan visited Johnson at his residence and noted a vehicle matching the description of the one from the accident. In speaking with Johnson about the accident, Trooper Cowan reports that Johnson stated he was not driving the car, and had been visiting his brother in the New Lisbon Correctional Facility. Furthermore, Johnson alleged that the vehicle in the driveway was not the same as the one he purchased from Teumer. Johnson went on to state that the vehicle purchased from Teumer had "to be junked." When asked why Teumer's registration plates were on the vehicle in the driveway Johnson replied he didn't know who put them on the vehicle. The vehicle in the driveway had damage to the front end. Trooper Cowan conducted a records check on the VIN which showed the vehicle belonging to someone in LaCrosse. Further investigation including reviewing the security cameras at Kwik Trip and New Lisbon Correctional provided information leading to the charge of hit and run against Johnson. Johnson has also been cited with following too closely, non registration of vehicle, display of unauthorized vehicle registration plates, operating a vehicle without insurance, and operating while revoked.
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Pierce pleads no contest to homicide BY EVA MARIE WOYWOD In Juneau County Circuit Court on January 30th, 32 year old Justin Pierce of Arkdale pleaded no contest to two of three charges. Due to the non contest pleas Judge Paul Curran entered a plea of guilty to 2nd degree reckless homicide and vehicular homicide by vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration. As the result of a plea agreement a third felony charge, homicide by intoxicated use of vehicle was dismissed as were the traffic citations stemming from the October 16, 2011 accident which took the life of 20 year old Laura Kruger of Mauston. Judge Curran continued Pierce's bond, ordered a presentencing investigation and scheduled a sentencing hearing for May 6, 2014. Background The criminal complaint states that on October 16, 2011 at 12:23 a.m. Deputy Ryan Price and Deputy Blake Hoefs of the Juneau County Sheriff's Department were dispatched to the scene of a vehicle crash in the Town of Kildare. Upon arriving on the scene officers observed a white 1995 Pontiac Firebird blocking the north and southbound lanes of traffic and a red 1997 Subaru Impreza Outback in the ditch to the east side of the road where it was resting against a tree. Both drivers were transported to Hess Memorial Hospital. Kruger was then transported via med flight to the UW Hospital in Madison. Pierce was also transported to the UW Hospital, however, he went via an Elroy Area Ambulance. Prior to be being transported to the UW Hospital Pierce was interviewed by Deputy Hoefs. The complaint states that Pierce stated he was traveling south on County Hwy HH with the vehicle's cruise control set at 65 mph. He is alleged to have admitted to taking a picture with his cell phone to send to friends in the Wisconsin Dells to show he was on the way to their location. According to an October 19, 2011 autopsy Kruger died on October 18, 2011 of injuries sustained in the collision. Dr. Michael Stier of the UW Department of Pathology conducted the autopsy and reported a diagnosis of severe head trauma, including acute subdural hem-
Justin Pierce orrhage, severe thoracic and abdominal trauma with multiple rib fractures and a splenic laceration. The autopsy also showed that Kruger had no alcohol in her blood system. The complaint goes on to state that on December 6, 2011, the Wisconsin Crime Lab reported that blood drawn from Pierce on October 16 revealed a blood alcohol level of 0.104, which is over the legal limit.
Felony hit and run in Clearfield On January 30, 2014 Shannon E. Manthey of New Lisbon was charged in Juneau County Circuit Court with felony hit and run causing an injury. Manthey is scheduled for a March 12, 2014 initial appearance before Judge John Roemer. According to the criminal complaint on January 21st at approximately 1:30 in the afternoon, Deputy Brian Bader of the Juneau County Sheriff's Department responded to a call of a hit and run at Hwy 58 and County Road A in Clearfield Township. Upon arrival the deputy observed a maroon Dodge Durango with Iowa license plates on its roof in the southbound ditch on Hwy 58. The deputy made contact with the driver of the vehicle, Robert T. Vadaver, who stated that while he felt he was okay he did have have a cut on his head. Vadaver explained that he had been heading south on Hwy 58 when a white car ran the stop sign at 38th St. He went on to state that he attempted to miss the vehicle but struck it causing his vehicle to enter the ditch and flip over on it's roof. Two witnesses on the scene gave voluntary statements con-
firming what Vadaver had told the deputy. While that deputy was taking statements, dispatch informed him that the other driver had contacted the Juneau County Sheriff's Department and was at a residence approximately three miles from the crash scene. After leaving the scene of the crash, Deputy Bader met with Detective Shaun Goyette and made contact with the other driver, Manthey. Her vehicle had severe damage to the rear passenger side and the rear tire was flat. Manthey allegedly stated that she was driving to work traveling at the speed of 65 mph. Upon coming to the stop sign she was unable to stop so she decided to speed up through the intersection at which time the other vehicle struck her. As to why she left the scene of the accident, Manthey told law enforcement that she didn't have a cell phone and the location three miles from the scene was the first place she could stop at. Manthey has also been cited with failure to stop, operating while suspended (2nd offense), and operating a motor vehicle without a license.
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