Town of Burlington fatal crash; driver to be charged with homicide, OWI

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Racine County Sheriff's Office

TOWN OF BURLINGTON, Wis. - An Illinois man is facing homicide and OWI charges after a fatal crash in the Town of Burlington on Wednesday, March 18.

Head-on crash

What we know:

According to the Racine County Sheriff's Office, at about 4:22 p.m., a Chevrolet Malibu was northbound on South Pine Street, near Schaal Road, when it drifted into oncoming traffic.

Witnesses saw a southbound SUV brake suddenly, swerve to miss the car, but it ended up colliding head-on with the Malibu at highway speeds.

The driver of the SUV, a 61-year-old woman from Burlington, was seriously injured and had to be extricated from the vehicle because her legs were trapped. She was initially treated at the scene and was later taken to the hospital.

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The Malibu was being driven by 31-year-old Dakota Morand from Johnsburg, Illinois. His girlfriend, a 32-year-old woman from Kenosha, was a passenger in the vehicle and was critically injured in the crash. Despite life-saving efforts, including the response of Flight For Life, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Morand was treated for his injuries and was initially taken to Burlington Memorial Hospital.  During the initial investigation, deputies determined that Morand was impaired at the time of the crash. Deputies got a search warrant and hospital staff conducted a blood draw, which will be sent to the Wisconsin Crime Laboratory for analysis.

Due to the severity of his injuries, Morand was later taken to Froedtert Hospital for further treatment.

The roadway was closed until 11 p.m. due to the crash investigation.

Charges

What we know:

Investigators will be submitting the following charging recommendations to the Racine County District Attorney’s Office:

• Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Motor Vehicle
• Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) causing Great Bodily Harm

Note: A booking photo for Dakota Morand is not available as he is currently in the hospital.

What they're saying:

"This was a violent and entirely preventable crash," said Racine County Sheriff Chris Schmaling. "An innocent woman lost her life, and another victim is seriously injured because someone chose to get behind the wheel while impaired. These decisions have devastating, irreversible consequences. We will hold the driver fully accountable, and we will continue to aggressively pursue those who endanger our community through impaired driving."