DODGE COUNTY (WKOW) — A man with a history of drunken driving is accused of doing it again. This time, Dodge County deputies say he killed another driver.The crashhappened 10 p.m. Sunday on Highway 151 North of Beaver Dam.
According to investigators, 39-year-old Eric Hagenbart was driving north in the south bound lanes of the divided highway, eventually hitting 24-year-old Ryan Schultz of Sun Prairie. Schutz died at the scene.
Those who loved Schultz said it’s been difficult to cope with the loss. Lori Kuba’s daughter was engaged to Schultz and she said she was looking forward to becoming part of his family.
“Ryan was the sweetest, kindest person you’d ever want to meet,” Kuba said. “Now he’s never going to have that opportunity because somebody took that away from us.”
Hagenbart was also gravely injured in the crash. Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said they’re not yet sure if he’ll survive. If he does, Schmidt said he could face OWI charges for the fifth time.
“We do believe alcohol was a factor and if there is enough evidence to warrant additional charges we will certainly pursue that,” he said.
This would be Hagenbart’s first deadly crash, but his criminal history dates back to 1998. The man is a registered sex offender and has four OWI convictions. His most recent OWI was in Waukesha County in 2013. He served prison time and his license was revoked.
In 2015, he was cited for driving with a revoked license. His most recent citation was three weeks before the crash. He was pulled over for speeding in Jackson County.
Schmidt declined to discuss Hagenbart’s record. He said the department is still investigating.
“We need to take our time, do our due diligence in investigating this to make sure that we get it right,” he said.
As for Schultz’s loved ones, they’re demanding justice.
“It’s just a whole lot of anger right now because somebody like that shouldn’t even be on the streets,” Kuba said.
If Hagenbart dies before he can be held responsible, Kuba said she wants the people who allowed him on the road to answer to her family.
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