An Oshkosh man has been ordered to stand trial for an alleged hit and run that left one pedestrian dead Oct. 5 at the corner of New York Avenue and Goss Court.
Drake Dodge waived a preliminary hearing Nov. 14 and his arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 13, according to court records.
Dodge, 21, turned himself in to the Oshkosh Police Department at 11:20 a.m. Oct. 5, 9 hours after officers responded to a call of a pedestrian lying in the roadway who appeared to have been struck by a vehicle.
The criminal complaint said that Dodge had been hanging out with friends the day of the incident before returning home.
“He proceeded on New York Avenue and was between Elmwood Avenue and Algoma Boulevard when ‘a dude came out’ and ‘he was just there’ and the defendant hit him,” the criminal complaint said. “The defendant stated that when he hit this person, he stopped, sat there for a second, and then drove around him and stopped near the stop sign at Algoma. The defendant advised he was freaking out and didn’t know what to do. He advised he ‘made the dumb decision to drive away instead of call.’ The Defendant was not able to answer the question why he drove off, but said he’d thought about it ever since it happened.”
According to Local 5 WFRV-TV, the victim was identified as 29-year-old Ethan Luaders of Oshkosh, who left behind a five-year-old daughter.
OPD reported that Dodge’s vehicle that struck the victim left the scene before police arrived and traveled westbound over the Congress Avenue Bridge. First responders administered lifesaving measures to Lauders, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
OPD officer Kate Mann said in an interview with Local 5 WRFV-TV that alcohol may have been a factor in the hit and run.
“A 21-year-old male from Oshkosh came into the police department to speak with officers, and he was later taken into custody for a hit and run causing death,” Mann said. “The driver of the vehicle did say that he had been consuming alcohol earlier that evening. Right now, he was arrested for hit and run causing death. Later on. there might be another charge added on.”
According to the criminal complaint, Dodge said he had two beers and four mixed drinks between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., but did not believe he was intoxicated at the time. OPD performed a breath test on Dodge, but he registered .000. A blood draw was also performed, but no results are cited in the complaint and Dodge has yet to be charged with any alcohol-related offenses.
Dodge will return to court Jan. 13 for his arraignment in the case.
