Scot Haas (Photo courtesy Oconto County Sheriff's Office)
OCONTO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A fatal UTV incident from 2022 was resolved Tuesday with citations, not criminal convictions, a day before a trial was scheduled to start.
Scot Haas, 56, of Waukesha, pleaded no contest to citations of operating a UTV while intoxicated, and operating a UTV with a passenger riding in an improper way. He was ordered to pay fines & costs of $846.50, plus restitution of $5,431.93, court records show. No jail time was ordered.
As part of the plea deal, a count of homicide by use of a vehicle while having a prohibited alcohol concentration was dismissed, records show.
The incident happened at the intersection of CTH T at Boulder Lake Lane, in the Town of Doty on May 29, 2022. According to the criminal complaint, David Weinmann was riding in the cargo area, facing backwards.
“Scot arrived at the intersection of County Highway T and stopped. Scot then proceeded south on County Highway T and while doing so told ‘everyone to hang on.’ While accelerating, (Weinmann) fell off the UTV and landed on the highway. After (Weinmann) fell off, Scot was informed by one of his passengers of what happened. Scot then turned his UTV around and saw (Weinmann) lying on the middle of the road and not moving. Scot believed he was traveling at approximately 10 to 15 miles per hour when (Weinmann) fell off. Scot indicated he was not intentionally operating his UTV in a careless manner and was attempting to be safe,” the complaint states.
Weinmann “landed in the roadway on his buttocks, and fell backwards, striking the back of his head against the concrete,” another passenger said.
Haas told police had two mixed drinks in the hour before the crash. A blood test showed a blood alcohol level of .165%, according to the amended criminal complaint.
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