Chippewa Falls,WI : Plea deal possible in fatal crash near Boyd on may, Friday 2nd 2017
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
The trial for a Boyd man accused of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed a 20-year-old Chippewa Falls woman in September 2015 is scheduled to begin June 19, but there is a possibility the matter will be resolved soon.
Gregg R. Irwin, 49, Highway O, was charged in Chippewa County Court in October 2015 with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle after the Sept. 28, 2015, crash near Boyd. Irwin had a 0.156 blood alcohol level when he was arrested.
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Erica Strandt, who was driving a car, died at the scene.
During a pretrial hearing Thursday, defense attorney Harry Hertel told Judge Steve Cray that he has received a written plea offer from assistant district attorney Roy Gay. Hertel will review the offer with Irwin on Tuesday.
Cray set a motion hearing for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Gay said he will request at that hearing that certain testimony be excluded from the jury. Specifically, there is evidence that suggests Strandt was speeding when her car was struck, but Gay believes that “any evidence of contributory negligence” should not be shared with the jury. At a previous court hearing, Hertel indicated that crash reconstruction reports show Strandt was traveling at 81 mph at the time of the crash.
Hertel said he will likely make a motion that secludes any witnesses from the courtroom during testimony.
At each court hearing for the past 1½ years, Strandt’s mother, Jennifer Grau, and a dozen family and friends have worn T-shirts in support of Strandt. If the matter does go to trial, Cray issued a warning about courtroom decorum, saying he doesn’t want any disruptions or outburst, and any shirts, buttons or other paraphernalia in support or against either party will not be permitted in the courtroom. Cray said disruptive actions would lead to ejections and possibly an issue of being in contempt of court.
According to the criminal complaint, the crash occurred at 8:20 p.m. Sept. 28, 2015, at the intersection of Highway 29 and 300th St. near Boyd. Irwin was driving his 2009 Dodge truck northbound on 300th Street when he struck Strandt’s westbound 2000 Saturn SL. Strandt suffered injuries to her head and torso and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The officer at the scene administered field sobriety tests and determined that Irwin had “slurred speech and bloodshot, glassy eyes.” Irwin also failed a preliminary breath test. However, Irwin denied he had drunk alcoholic beverages before the crash.
Irwin was initially held on a $5,000 cash bond, but he posted that the day after the crash and is not incarcerated.
Irwin was convicted of first-offense drunken driving in April 1992. He is charged with two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, with each charge carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. He also is charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and second-degree reckless homicide.
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Plea deal possible in fatal crash near Boyd