Pleasant Prairie Police Department

2005 New Releases Archive

03/18/2005 | Speed Identified as Cause of Fatal Accident
(PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WI) A speed of 99.57 miles per hour was the primary cause of Wednesday’s fatal accident in which a car driven By Todd Finn, 39 of Kenosha left State Highway 165 and travel some 300 feet before slamming into the Pleasant Prairie Renaissance School located at 10450 72nd Avenue, killing the driver, according to Pleasant Prairie Police Chief Brian Wagner.

The speed was calculated based on tire mark evidence and surface resistance by a Pleasant Prairie Police Department Crash Reconstructionist. “It is amazing what an accident reconstructionist can do and how accurate these calculations are”, said Wagner, adding that Sergeant Daniel Reilly, the department’s accident reconstructionist has attended over 200 hours of training with the Traffic Institute at Northwestern University. “It really is a science and we are fortunate to have a ‘go to guy’ like Sergeant Reilly on staff in these situations.

The focus of this investigation now moves to why the vehicle was being driven as fast as it was. An autopsy performed on Thursday failed to provide a medical explanation. Alcohol is not believed to have been a factor.

An archived copy of this and other Pleasant Prairie Police Department New Releases is available on the department’s website at www.pppd.info.

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