One of the drivers involved in a fatal two-vehicle crash in Dunn County that killed a correctional officer and injured four others faces homicide charges for driving drunk.
According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, two vehicles collided at 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, December 24, on Highways 12 and E near Menomonie.
State Troopers and Dunn County Sheriff’s Deputies responded, discovering that the 56-year-old driver of an overturned car had been killed.
The State Patrol did not identify him, but the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a Facebook post that he was Jeffrey S. Reynolds of Eau Claire, a jail correctional officer on his way to his shift.
“Jeff began his career with the Sheriff’s Office in 2007 and was a valued member who will be missed greatly,” according to the post.
The driver of the other vehicle, 40-year-old Mark A. Sokolowski of Eau Claire, sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and after an investigation, the State Patrol arrested him for homicide by intoxicated driving.
Sokolowsi was charged with homicide by intoxicated driving in Dunn County Court on Thursday, December 26. A $75,000 cash bond was set and signed, with the condition that he remain absolutely sober and not enter any premises where alcohol is served.
Solowski’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, January 3.
The State Patrol has yet to identify the passengers in Sokolowski’s vehicle, but the Sheriff’s Office stated that one of them was the driver’s wife. The State Patrol identified the victims as a 30-year-old woman from Eau Claire with life-threatening injuries, a 20-year-old man from Hillsdale, and a 23-year-old man from Barron. The men sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The Wisconsin State Patrol is still investigating the crash, but it provided no information about what happened in its initial release.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Reynolds was struck by a vehicle that did not stop at the posted stop sign.
“The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Wisconsin State Patrol, Menomonie Fire Department and Menomonie Police Department for their support and assistance,” said a spokesperson for the office.