By Shereen Siewert

A 42-year-old Wausau man is facing charges of seventh offense operating while intoxicated after a report of a hit-and-run crash hours earlier in Lincoln County.

Elliott M. Olsen appeared Friday, Aug. 16 in Marathon County Circuit Court on the felony charge. He is jailed on a $10,000 cash bond.

According to the criminal complaint, a Wausau Police officer at 10:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15 observed a vehicle turning east on West Bridge Street with a decal matching the description of a pickup allegedly involved in a hit-and-run crash earlier in the day in Lincoln County. Officers had been attempting to locate the vehicle at Olsen’s residence but were not successful.

As the officer pulled Olsen’s vehicle over in the 500 block of East Bridge Street, the pickup’s right wheels hit the side of the street and drove up on top of the curb, the police report states.

When questioned by police, Olsen initially denied being involved in the Lincoln County crash. But later, Olsen said that earlier in the day he had been traveling north on County Road CC in Lincoln County, approaching Hwy. 8, when he stepped on his brakes but the truck did not stop, causing him to enter the intersection wide turning east onto Hwy. 8. According to Olsen’s statements, another vehicle was traveling west on Hwy. 8 and was forced to swerve to avoid a collision but he did not believe he struck the other vehicle. But police say damage on Olsen’s vehicle matches damage that would have occurred in the Lincoln County crash.

Police say Olsen failed field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.076 percent, according to the police report. Though the legal limit for driving in Wisconsin is 0.08 percent Olsen is subject to a 0.02 percent limit due to his prior six convictions, the most recent of which happened in 2012. In that case, Olsen spent nine months in jail and participated in the Marathon County OWI Court.

Blood test results are pending. Charges have not yet been filed in Lincoln County in connection with the crash.

Olsen is due in court Aug. 26 for a preliminary hearing.