Koosmann

By City Times staff

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – A man who hit and killed a central Wisconsin teacher is headed to trial.

Zachary Koosmann, 25, of Wisconsin Rapids will be headed to trial for charges of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and homicide by use of a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration level.

During his preliminary hearing on Nov. 18, the court found probable cause to send the case to trial.

The charges stem from an incident on Aug. 4 along Whitrock Avenue in Grand Rapids, when Koosmann allegedly hit Marshfield native Melissa Piesik from behind with his pickup truck, while Piesik was riding her bike.

At the preliminary hearing, a Grand Rapids Officer testified that Koosmann was pacing back and forth when he arrived at the scene of the crash. The officer also said he could smell alcohol on Koosmann. A preliminary breath test indicated a blood alcohol level of 0.19 and a later blood test put it at 0.222, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08. Koosmann said he’d been drinking at a bar in Portage County before the crash.

He is currently free on a $30,000 cash bond. He is due back in court on Dec. 9 for an arraignment hearing. Koosmann faces a maximum of 40 years in prison, if convicted.