By Shereen Siewert
WAUSAU — A 21-year-old Mosinee man was convicted Tuesday of homicide by negligent operation of a motor vehicle in connection with an August 2015 crash that left one man dead and two other people injured.
Brandon Kohel, who was 19 at the time of the crash, was initially charged in July 2016 with first degree reckless homicide. That charge was amended as part of a plea agreement and two counts of reckless driving causing bodily harm were dismissed. The dismissed charges will be read into the record and considered at sentencing.
Police say Kohel was traveling just before 2 p.m. Aug. 11 on CTH KK when he tried passing a vehicle inside a no passing zone, then struck an oncoming vehicle head on. Michael Sybeldon, 54, was killed in the crash and two other people were hospitalized, police said.
Kohel was traveling at a speed of 63 mph heading into the curve, according to the criminal complaint. Both vehicles swerved and collided on the shoulder.
Charges were filed 11 months later.
The charge Kohel is convicted of carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in the Wisconsin State Prison system and fines up to $25,000. A sentencing hearing is set for June 25.
