'He was on his phone:' Waukesha man faces homicide charge after fatal crash in Eagle

Jacob Anderson

WAUKESHA COUNTY -- A charge of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle was filed Monday, Nov. 11 against Jacob Anderson, 26, of Waukesha

The crash happened around 4:30 p.m. near Highway 67 and Highway NN in Eagle.

Investigators responding to the scene found a white Ford F-250 and a man standing next to it, talking on his cellphone. The front of a gray Subaru was making contact with the front driver's side of the Ford.

Prosecutors said Anderson was driving the truck and told investigators "he thought his leg was broken." He said he left a job site and was heading back to Waukesha, but didn't know where he was coming from, and couldn't remember what happened. He was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries.

Waukesha man faces homicide charge after fatal crash in Eagle

The driver of the Subaru was trapped in her vehicle, and did not have a pulse and was not breathing when she was extricated. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

A witness told investigators he was behind the Subaru, headed southbound on Highway 67, when the truck crossed the double yellow lines and hit the Subaru head-on, according to the complaint.

An off-duty nurse was in front of the Subaru and said she had to swerve to avoid being struck. She said the man in the truck was on his phone, prosecutors said. She said he had his phone in his hand, up in front of his face, as if he was texting or looking at the screen for some reason. She said, "It aggravated her that he was on his phone and had almost crashed into her."

A third witness said the driver of the truck made no effort to brake or make any attempt to avoid hitting the Subaru, the complaint said.

The complaint noted there was a tank in the bed of the truck that was filled with water at the time of the crash -- adding approximately 2,350 pounds of water to the truck.

Investigators found a dash camera in the Subaru, which captured the crash. The video showed the driver tried to swerve to avoid the crash. The video ended just after the impact.

Anderson made his initial appearance in court Monday. Cash bond was set at $10,000, and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Nov. 20.