Upgraded criminal charges including first-degree recklessly endangering safety have been filed against a 21-year-old Elkhorn woman who was rescued from her car after crashing into a natural gas line in the Town of Waterford May 26.
In addition to the two counts of reckless endangerment, Vada Wirtz is now facing second-offense drunken driving and prohibited alcohol concentration charges as well as disorderly conducted charges for her alleged belligerent treatment of deputies, rescue personnel and hospital staff who were trying to treat her after she was pulled unconscious from her car.
Wirtz was initially charged with first-offense drunken driving and prohibited alcohol content May 28, but those charges were upgraded after officials learned she was recently convicted of drunken driving in Delavan municipal court.
She also faces several traffic offenses in connection with the crash, including passing in a no passing zone, passing on a hill or curve, failure to keep vehicle under control, failure to wear a safety belt and failure to insure the vehicle.
Wirtz appeared in Racine County Circuit Court Tuesday to face the latest charges. A court commissioner set signature bond at $2,500 and ordered Wirtz not to consume or possess alcoholic beverages. The court also requires Wirtz to submit to random alcohol/drug testing as a condition of the bond.
Wild crash and rescue
According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Wirtz was driving east on Highway 20 near Honey Creek Road in the Town of Waterford the evening of May 26 when she attempted to pass two vehicles on a hill that enters a curve.
According to other drivers, she had to swerve to avoid oncoming traffic and lost control of the car, which spun off the highway and came to rest between a natural gas line station and a row of trees.
The crash ruptured the natural gas pipes sending the flammable vapor into the air, leaving Wirtz unconscious and upside down in her car, and touching off a harrowing rescue.
She was pulled from the car and carried to safety by Racine County Sheriff’s Lt. David Kinservik and Lt. Tom Nehring, who serves on both the Village of Waterford Fire Department and Tichigan Volunteer Fire Company.
Wirtz was first transported to Aurora Memorial Hospital of Burlington, and then to Froedtert Memorial Hospital in Wauwatosa, for treatment of her injuries before being released.
Three days following the crash, Kinservik was honored by Sheriff Christopher Schmaling for his heroism. Wirtz and her parents attended the ceremony during which Schmaling, according to news reports, cautioned her to always remember what happened that night – how someone risked his life to save hers.
Belligerent behavior
According to the criminal complaint, Wirtz was belligerent to sheriff’s personnel, rescue and hospital staff. She repeatedly swore at them – telling them to “F— off!” – and had to be restrained so emergency room staff could treat her.
After a deputy warned Wirtz she would be charged with disorderly conduct if she continued to refuse to cooperate, she allegedly swore at him and flipped her middle finger at him.
At one point, according to the complaint, when asked by a nurse if her head hurt, Wirtz responded: “I don’t know, does your head hurt when you drink a lot of alcohol? Obviously!”
Because Wirtz refused to consent to a blood draw, deputies had to obtain a search warrant to perform the test.
Results allegedly indicate she had a blood alcohol concentration of .226, nearly three times the legal limit.
Police report account
According to the Waterford Township Police report, a driver who was traveling east along Highway 20 two cars ahead of Wirtz told police that Wirtz had tried to pass the two vehicles in front of her by moving into the westbound traffic lane.
The first try was made in a no-passing zone on a curve and was unsuccessful because of oncoming westbound traffic, the driver reported.
Wirtz again traveled into the westbound lane to try and pass, but was unsuccessful again due to more westbound traffic coming.
Wirtz then reportedly traveled at a high rate of speed, passed the vehicle directly in front of her in a no-passing zone, and then stayed in the westbound lane to try and pass the second vehicle.
The driver of that vehicle said she slowed so Wirtz could pass as soon as possible since they were driving up a hill and into another curve.
The driver said she then observed a westbound vehicle swerve to avoid a head-on collision with Wirtz, whose vehicle then spun in a circle several times before hitting the gas pipes.
The driver of the westbound vehicle who swerved to avoid a collision confirmed that Wirtz was traveling illegally in the westbound lane, according to the police report.
Wirtz is scheduled to appear in Racine County Circuit Court for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 20.
