Wausau Pilot & Review
Police have identified the man suspected of driving while intoxicated when he struck a pickup head on Saturday, leaving an 8-year-old boy dead.
John Lahti, 41, of Merrill was injured in the crash and was transported to a Merrill hospital for treatment. He is expected to face homicide charges in the crash.
Police say Lahti was driving a Dodge Ram southbound on Hwy. 17 near Sunset Road in the town of Merrill at about 7:20 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 when he crossed the center line and collided head-on with a northbound Chevrolet Silverado. The boy who died was a passenger in the Silverado.
Three other people in the Silverado were injured, one critically. The Wisconsin State Patrol says 37-year-old Leah Skaar, of Gleason, was flown to Aspirus Wausau Hospital for treatment of her injuries. The Silverado driver, 42-year-old Thomas J. Skaar and a 9-year-old Gleason girl, were taken to a Merrill hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.
The boy’s name has not been released due to being a juvenile.
Wisconsin Corrections shows Lahti was taken into custody at 12:03 a.m. Sunday and booked into the Lincoln County Jail about an hour later.
Charges of homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle are expected as soon as Monday, with additional charges possible, police said.
The Wisconsin State Patrol completed the crash reconstruction at the scene, which forced a highway shutdown for nearly eight hours.
