New Berlin wrong-way OWI crash; officer hurt, driver sentenced
David Scott
NEW BERLIN, Wis. - A man pleaded guilty to charges in connection to a wrong-way OWI crash that injured a New Berlin police officer and was sentenced to probation on Wednesday.
In Court:
Prosecutors charged 57-year-old David Scott with OWI causing injury (second offense), four counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety and misdemeanor causing injury while operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration.
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Court records show he pleaded guilty to the OWI charge and one of four second-degree recklessly endangering safety charges. All other felonies were dismissed as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, while the misdemeanor was dismissed "by operation of law."
A judge withheld Scott's sentence and put him on probation. As conditions of his probation, his driver's license has been revoked for two years, and he will have an ignition interlock for another two years. He also has to pay restitution totaling nearly $2,500 and maintain absolute sobriety.
New Berlin wrong-way OWI crash; officer hurt, man charged
A New Berlin man is accused of driving drunk, causing a wrong-way crash that injured a police officer, on Sunday.
Wrong-way crash
The backstory:
The crash happened near Moorland and Cleveland on Feb. 9. A criminal complaint states a white Ford SUV was driving north in the southbound lanes of Moorland Road when it collided head-on with a New Berlin police squad. Dashboard camera video showed the officer trying to swerve out of the way, hitting another vehicle in the process.
Court records said the officer went to a hospital and had a broken finger. A Waukesha County sheriff's deputy spoke to the driver of the ford, identified as Scott, at the scene.
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Prosecutors said Scott told the deputy he had left a pub after the Super Bowl and crossed into the wrong lane of traffic, where he hit the officer's squad. He admitted he had six beers at a New Berlin restaurant and then went to the pub, where he had four more beers and "several shots."
The deputy noted Scott smelled of intoxicants and was slurring his speech, per the complaint, so field sobriety tests were conducted.
The Source: Information in this report comes from prior reporting and the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website.