Wauwatosa pedestrian struck, killed; driver allegedly using Snapchat
Pedestrian struck, killed near 103rd and Wisconsin
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - A Wisconsin man is now charged in a February crash that killed a 93-year-old pedestrian in Wauwatosa.
Prosecutors accuse 24-year-old Clay Schueffner of St. Cloud with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. The victim, David Gau, was struck and killed while crossing the street near 103rd and Wisconsin.
Police responded to the scene near 103rd and Wisconsin around 1:45 p.m. Gau was on the south side of the street attempting to cross when he was hit and died at the scene. He lived in the nearby St. Camillus Senior Community.
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The driver whose pickup truck struck the pedestrian, now identified as Schueffner, stayed at the scene and cooperated with the investigation, police said. A criminal complaint states there was "significant" damage to the front of the truck, and a walker was found nearby.
Schueffner told police he was working a construction job at the nearby Froedtert Hospital that day. He looked down at his speedometer, saw he was going 42 mph and thought he should slow down because the speed limit was 35 mph. He then looked at the GPS on his cellphone, which he said was mounted on his dashboard.
Wauwatosa pedestrian killed, community concerned about safety
A Wauwatosa community remains shaken up and concerned about safety after a St. Camillus resident was struck and killed crossing the street.
Between looking at his speedometer and then his GPS, the complaint states Schueffner thought he was looking down for "approximately four seconds." When he looked back up, he said he saw Gau and had no time to react before hitting the 93-year-old. He then slammed on the brakes and stood with the victim while witnesses were already calling 911.
The complaint states detectives reviewed data from Schueffner's two cellphones. One revealed he was driving 41 mph one second prior to impact and 38 mph when Gau was hit. The phone also indicated the Messages, Spotify and Apple Maps applications were running. The other cellphone showed Snapchat was being used leading up to the crash – and Schueffner allegedly had taken three selfies while driving and opened a Snpachat video one second before the crash.
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Investigators also watched surveillance video of the crash. According to the complaint, it showed Gau "appears to wait until traffic is clear and it is safe to cross." As he got close to the street's center line, the pickup truck appeared in the video and Gau appeared to "attempt to hurry across the street." The truck maintained its speed and did not appear to serve or brake before Gau was hit. Schueffner then immediately stopped, pulled over and walked toward Gau.
Court records show Schueffner is not due in court until May 24.