OSHKOSH — A 31-year-old Omro man faces charges of hit-and-run causing great bodily harm after a pedestrian was struck and seriously injured at an Oshkosh intersection.
The suspect was taken into custody at a jobsite in Green Lake County following an extensive investigation into the Dec. 12 incident.
According to a news release, officers responded to the intersection of Merritt Avenue and Bowen Street at approximately 3:25 p.m. for a report of an accident involving a truck and a pedestrian. Investigators say the truck had been stopped at a traffic light before striking the pedestrian and fleeing northbound on Bowen Street at a high rate of speed. Witnesses at the scene provided emergency aid to the victim, who was later transported to a local hospital with life-threating injuries.
The Oshkosh Police Department used witness accounts and surveillance video from nearby businesses to identify the truck’s license plate. On Dec. 16, detectives identified the owner of the vehicle and worked with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office to locate the truck at a property near Coloma. The vehicle was seized by detectives and remains in police custody.
Additional surveillance footage captured the suspect entering the driver’s seat of the truck shortly before the accident occurred. Investigators also utilized video to track the vehicle’s direction of travel leading up to the collision.
Multiple agencies assisted with the investigation, including the sheriff’s offices of Winnebago, Adams, and Green Lake counties, as well as the Hobart/Lawrence Police Department. Local officials credited the cooperation of witnesses and business owners for providing the evidence necessary to advance the case.
The victim’s current condition has not been released. Police reminded motorists of the legal requirement to remain at the scene of an accident and urged drivers to remain vigilant for pedestrians in crosswalks.
