Man charged in crash after being kicked out of tavern

A 25-year-old man accused of crashing his pickup truck into a car on Fredonia’s main drag Sunday morning after being kicked out of a bar for being too drunk, then speeding off, was charged this week in Ozaukee County Circuit Court with two felonies.

Town of Fredonia resident Robert W. Baker III faces counts of first degree recklessly endangering safety and hit and run causing injury, as well as misdemeanor charges of first-offense drunken driving causing injury and possession of marijuana.

According to a criminal complaint, a sheriff’s deputy was called to the intersection of Fredonia Avenue and Edmaro Street just before noon on Oct. 20 for a report of a blue 2015 Chevy Silverado pickup truck with deer antlers on the dashboard that hit a vehicle and drove off.

The caller provided a license plate number of the truck and authorities subsequently identified the driver as Baker, who they learned had been kicked out of Jen’s Place in Fredonia for being intoxicated, the complaint states.

An area resident provided video footage of the crash from a home surveillance system that showed Baker’s truck traveling west on Fredonia at speeds estimated to be more than double the 25 mph limit. The truck hit the other vehicle on the driver’s side as it was turning left from Edmaro Street onto Fredonia Avenue, causing it to spin around, according to the complaint.

The pickup truck appeared to slow down only because of the impact, then sped away, the complaint states.

The driver of the vehicle that was hit said his neck hurt and he requested an ambulance.

A deputy located a truck that had deer antlers on the dashboard and significant front end damage and saw Baker and a woman who was a passenger in the truck on the ground hugging.

Baker, the deputy said, appeared highly intoxicated. As he stood up, he lost his balance and caught himself by grabbing trees and shrubs. His eyes were bloodshot, he was having difficultly speaking and forming sentences and he was disheveled, with his pants unzipped, according to the complaint.

When the deputy asked him about the crash, Baker said he assumed he had hit a deer.

A breath test showed Baker had an alcohol level that was at least twice the legal limit, the complaint states.

Baker and his passenger each had marijuana vaping devices, and a third device was found in the truck, according to the complaint.

After being arrested, Baker told authorities he was not involved in a crash and, although he admitted to being at Jen’s Place,  he denied being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

An employee of Jen’s Place told authorities that Baker was served one drink and two shots at the bar, which then refused him further service because he appeared to be drunk, according to the complaint.

During a court hearing Monday, Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Adam Gerol set Baker’s bail at $3,000 and ordered him to maintain absolute sobriety, not enter establishments that sell alcohol and wear an alcohol monitoring device.