St. Francis crash, jogger dies; Milwaukee man now charged
St. Francis crash: Milwaukee jogger hit
ST. FRANCIS, Wis. - A 42-year-old Milwaukee man is now charged in connection with the death of a jogger in St. Francis this past June. The accused is Richard Heimann – and he faces a single charge of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle.
According to the criminal complaint, a St. Francis police officer was dispatched on June 13 to the intersection of St. Francis Avenue and S. Kinnickinnic Avenue because of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. When the officer arrived on the scene, she spotted a minivan with front end damage in a nearby parking lot -- and a person lying in the curb.
The complaint says the officer approached a man standing near the minivan "that seemed to be in emotional distress." That person was identified as the defendant, Heimann. Heimann indicated "he just looked down to turn on his phone and then he struck someone," the complaint says. The defendant stated "he was not drinking today, and does not take prescription drugs. When asked about illegal drugs, the defendant responded, 'sometimes,'" the complaint says. "The defendant stated that he was driving and that it was his fault. The defendant also stated that he used illegal drugs, but had not done so in six months."
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The pedestrian that was struck was later identified as 67-year-old Gerard Jaszewski. He was taken to a hospital where he was treated for several days before dying from his injuries.
Through investigation, the complaint says "it was determined that the defendant drifted into the right shoulder of S. Kinnickinnic Avenue while traveling southbound.
Video was also recovered that showed the location and circumstances of the collision. It showed the victim "jogging on the shoulder of the road when teh defendant's vehicle veers into the curb lane and the defendant's vehicle strikes (the victim)," the complaint says. The video also shows "the defendant stop the minivan in the parking lot," running to the victim and then back to the minivan.
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Police reports indicate the defendant was taken to a hospital where a sample of his blood was taken for chemical analysis. The complaint says the "results of that analysis indicated the presence of methamphetamines, amphetamines and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid."
Heimann made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Friday, Dec. 8. The defendant waived his right to a preliminary hearing, entered a not guilty plea and a signature bond of $25,000 was set.