By Shereen Siewert
WAUSAU — Three daughters of a man who died in a May 17 crash have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the drivers of both vehicles involved.
The crash happened just before 6:15 p.m. on a stretch of Hwy. W near the intersection of Hwy. WW. According to the police report obtained by Wausau Pilot and Review, 53-year-old Doug R. Stone was driving north in a Ford Mustang GT when he turned into the driveway of a tavern and into the path of an oncoming vehicle driven by 20-year-old Kaleb Tesky of Merrill.
A passenger in Stone’s vehicle, 75-year-old Ernest Paul Elliott of Wausau, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The lawsuit, filed today in Marathon County Circuit Court, accuses both Stone of driving negligently, causing the crash. The suit also accuses Tesky of driving at excessive speed and failing to avoid the crash caused by Stone according to court records.
Police suspect Doug Stone had been drinking before the crash, according to the report, but toxicology results have not yet been made publicly available.
Stone, along with another passenger, 52-year-old Linda Stone, were seriously injured in the crash, police said. Tesky was also injured.
To date, no criminal charges have been filed in the crash. In late December, Marathon County District Attorney Theresa Wetzsteon told Wausau Pilot and Review the matter was still under review. Wetzsteon said she expected to make a charging decision in early 2018.
Possible criminal charges could include homicide by drunken driving, a felony that is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. But drivers with a prior OWI conviction face up to 40 years in prison upon conviction.
Court records show Stone was arrested and cited for drunken driving in an earlier crash that happened about five weeks before the fatal crash. That case has not yet concluded.
