By Shereen Siewert

More than five years after a town of Texas crash left one man dead and three people injured, the trial for a Merrill man facing multiple felony charges, including vehicular homicide by use of a controlled substance, is underway in Wausau.

Investigators say Douglas R. Stone, 68, of Merrill had cocaine and alcohol in his system at the time of the crash. A passenger in Stone’s vehicle, 75-year-old Ernest Paul Elliott, of Wausau, died in the May 2017 crash.

Charges were filed Sept. 12, 2018, 16 months after the crash.

According to the police report obtained by Wausau Pilot and Review, Stone was driving north on CTH W in the town of Texas in a Ford Mustang GT when he turned into the driveway of Brokaw Corners, T7550 Hwy. W, and into the path of an oncoming vehicle driven by then-18-year-old Kaleb Tesky of Merrill.

According to the criminal complaint:

  • Roadway markings show Tesky tried to stop but struck Stone’s vehicle on the front passenger side and sending Stone’s vehicle into the west ditch. Tesky’s 1986 Chevrolet Suburban careened into the east side ditch and rolled onto the driver’s side.
  • Tesky, who was injured in the crash, told police he was driving at about 60 mph when he saw Stone turn in front of him but couldn’t stop in time and couldn’t swerve to avoid the crash because of oncoming traffic.
  • An off-duty detective who was inside Brokaw Corners at the time of the crash said he heard what sounded like a loud muffler followed by a vehicle backfiring. Moments later, a man entered the tavern who was covered in blood. The detective then went outside and saw the crash scene.
  • Tesky, Stone and Stone’s wife, Linda Stone, were all injured in the crash and were transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital for treatment. Linda Stone suffered a broken neck, broken sternum, broken ribs and a broken ankle in the crash.
  • Elliott was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy showed he died of multiple blunt force injuries released to the crash.
  • In police interviews, both Doug Stone and his wife told police they had visited two separate taverns before making their way to Brokaw Corners with Elliott, who had asked for a ride. Blood test results for Doug Stone tested positive for Benzoylecgonine, which is the main metabolite of cocaine, and ethanol, which indicates the presence of alcohol.
  • Police also discovered THC oil, marijuana, marijuana “edibles” and two marijuana pipes in Doug Stone’s vehicle. Tesky did not have any alcohol or drugs in his system and investigators say he was not using his cell phone at the time of the crash.

Mr. Stone is not in custody, but was freed on a $50,000 cash bond after his initial appearance in 2017.

Court records show Doug Stone had been arrested on charges of drunken driving in a village of Maine crash that happened just six weeks before crash that killed Elliott. In that crash, which happened on April 4, 2017, blood tests indicate Mr. Stone was driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.184 percent, more than twice the 0.08 legal limit for driving in Wisconsin.

Circuit Judge LaMont Jacobson is presiding over the trial, which is expected to stretch through the week. Jury selection began Monday morning, followed by opening statements on both sides of the case.

Jurors also heard testimony from Tesky, a Wisconsin State Patrol trooper and Det. Dennis Blaser, who is now retired from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department.

Court records show prosecutors made an offer to Mr. Stone to settle the case, but the offer was declined. Testimony continues on Tuesday.