A Madison man pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of homicide by drunken driving for a crash last year in Windsor that killed a passenger in his vehicle.
David E. King, 50, also pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree reckless endangerment as part of a plea agreement reached with Dane County prosecutors. King will be sentenced at a later date by Circuit Judge Nicholas McNamara after a pre-sentence report is completed by the state Department of Corrections.
The homicide conviction alone carries up to 15 years in prison followed by 10 years of extended supervision.
King
The March 13, 2020, crash killed Danny Lee Ranck Jr., 38, of DeForest.
A criminal complaint states the crash happened on Highway V near Wernick Road in Windsor after King passed another vehicle at a speed estimated at around 100 mph.
The complaint states King’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.09%, above the 0.08% limit for drivers.
A witness told police he was driving his truck east on Highway V when a white SUV passed him on the left in a no-passing zone, nearly striking a westbound vehicle head-on. The driver of the westbound vehicle told a sheriff’s deputy he had to swerve onto the right shoulder to avoid a collision, the complaint states.
King also veered to the right to avoid the oncoming vehicle. His SUV went into a ditch, struck a driveway and went airborne. When it landed it sheared off a utility pole, then rolled, striking another utility pole and a guy wire. Ranck was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene, according to the complaint.
King was taken to UW Hospital by helicopter with life-threatening injuries. Under the plea agreement, four other charges were dismissed — homicide by driving with a prohibited alcohol concentration, second-degree reckless homicide and two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping.
King remains free on a signature bond, but McNamara added alcohol monitoring conditions to his bond.
LARGE FIGHT BEFORE GUNSHOTS TOPS RECENT NOTABLE LOCAL CRIME NEWS
Large fight preceding reported gunshots tops recent notable crime news in Madison area
Large fight, apparent gunshot sounds draw Madison police to North Side parking lot
Madison police said officers were called to a reported large fight Friday night on the North Side and what sounded like gunshots.
Sgt. Ryan Gibson said in a statement the call came in a little after 10:50 p.m. for a fight and apparent gunshot noises coming from a parking lot in the 1900 block of Northport Drive.
Milwaukee man arrested after breaking down door, assaulting woman in Elkhorn, authorities say
A Milwaukee man was arrested in a traffic stop after breaking down the door of an Elkhorn residence and assaulting a woman earlier this month, the Walworth County Sheriff's Office and Elkhorn Police Department reported.
Shortly after 1:30 p.m. on March 18, a woman called 911 from a residence on Prescott Street in Elkhorn reporting someone pounding on her door who she thought was Michael C. Budish, of Milwaukee, the two law enforcement agencies said in a report.
Sex offender wanted in Iowa arrested in Monona hotel, authorities say
A sex offender wanted in Iowa was arrested at a Monona hotel on Friday, Monona police reported.
At about 9:20 a.m. Friday, Monona police assisted the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office in taking Deiago D. Davis, 29, into custody at the County Inn & Suites Hotel, 400 River Place in Monona, Lt. Curtis Wiegel said in a report.
Man asks teens for time, robs them at gunpoint on East Side, Madison police say
A man asked two teens what time it was, then robbed one at gunpoint Friday night on the East Side, Madison police reported.
A 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl told police that at about 9 p.m. Friday in the 3000 block of Darbo Drive, they were approached by an unknown man who asked what time it was, and while the boy pulled out his phone, the man pulled out a handgun and pointed it at him, police spokesman Tyler Grigg said in a statement.
Shell casings found after gunshots reported on Far East Side, Madison police say
Shell casings were found after gunshots were reported on the Far East Side early Saturday morning, Madison police reported.
Multiple callers reported hearing shots shortly after 1:15 a.m. Saturday in the 4700 block of Cottage Grove Road, police spokesman Tyler Grigg said in a statement.
Rider pulls knife on cab driver at end of trip, Madison police say
A rider pulled a knife on a cab driver at the end of a trip on Sunday night, Madison police reported.
At about 11:25 p.m., the rider pulled a knife at the end of a ride in the 6600 block of Raymond Road and demanded money from the driver, police spokesman Tyler Grigg said in a statement.
Milwaukee homicide suspect arrested on East Side of Madison, police say
A Milwaukee homicide suspect was arrested Tuesday afternoon on the East Side, Madison police reported.
At about 2:50 p.m., Madison police assisted Milwaukee police in taking an unidentified homicide suspect into custody in the 100 block of South Fair Oaks Avenue, police spokesman Tyler Grigg said in a statement.
Man arrested after using racial slurs, threatening to kill police officers during multiple phone calls
A man was arrested Wednesday morning after reportedly using racial slurs and threatening to kill police officers during phone calls to 911 and Madison police.Â
James A. Peterson, 52, was arrested on the 1400 block of Wayridge Drive Wednesday morning on a tentative charge of threats to law enforcement, Madison police spokesperson Tyler Grigg said. Peterson was taken into custody after an investigation and was booked into the Dane County Jail.Â
Man charged with second child sexual assault, ignoring no-contact order set in first assault case
A 22-year-old Oregon man charged in January with luring a 12-year-old girl out of her home late at night and improperly touching her was charged Thursday with an earlier incident involving another girl.
In addition to a new charge of first-degree sexual assault of a child, Jacan L. Flores was charged with two counts of bail jumping, for what prosecutors said was Flores flagrantly ignoring the terms of his bail in his first case, which forbid him from having any unsupervised contact, direct or indirect, with any children.
Sun Prairie police arrest man found unresponsive behind the wheel with 2 children in car
Sun Prairie police arrested a man Thursday afternoon after finding him unresponsive behind the wheel of a car with two children inside.
Sun Prairie police, along with Sun Prairie EMS and fire, responded to the 600 block of Broadway Drive at around 3:55 p.m. for the man found unresponsive behind the wheel, Sgt. Nolan Pickar said. Officers were able to wake the man up and noticed signs of impairment.Â
Four other charges were dismissed.
Ed Treleven | Wisconsin State Journal
Ed Treleven is the courts reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal.
