Brodhead man facing homicide charge after fatal crash
JANESVILLE — A Brodhead man faces more than 25 years in prison and the prospect of recovering from surgery in the medical unit of the Rock County Jail.
Sean M. Waterman, 32, of 1113 S. Dickey Road, Brodhead, was charged Tuesday with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, third-offense intoxicated driving and two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping. Waterman had a blood-alcohol content of 0.29 after a Sept. 23 car crash on Highway 213 in the town of Spring Valley, according
to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Rock County Court.
A passenger in Waterman’s vehicle, Douglas W. Axelson, 26, of Brodhead was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to Rock County Sheriff ’s Office reports.
Waterman sat in a wheelchair during his Tuesday court appearance, in which Court Commissioner Charles Holznecht set a $1,300 cash bond.
Waterman is recovering from multiple surgeries and is fighting an infection in his back, assistant public defender Walter Isaacson said. Waterman spent three weeks at Rockford Memorial Hospital, Isaacson said. Waterman said he also would have to travel to Rockford, Ill., for treatment.
Members of Waterman’s family would have to sell vehicles or other personal items to pay a cash bond, Isaacson said.
Emergency responders on the afternoon of Sept. 23 found Waterman pinned under a Buick LeSabre. They smelled a strong odor of intoxicants on Waterman’s breath, according to
the complaint.
Waterman was driving north on Highway 213 when his vehicle went off the side of the road, crossed a driveway and became airborne. The car flew 40 feet, struck an electrical pole and rolled several times before coming to rest near 2323 S. Highway 213, according to the complaint.
Previously, Waterman was arrested for second-offense intoxicated driving on Aug. 9, 2008. That was three days after he was convicted of first-offense OWI, according to the
complaint.
The Sept. 23 crash violated the terms of two Green County cases in which Waterman was released on signature bonds after being charged with operating after revocation and misdemeanor marijuana possession.
Waterman on Sept. 23 was ticketed for a number of violations including failing to wear a seatbelt, failure to keep his vehicle under control, failure to transfer the car title and being a driver in possession of open intoxicants in a vehicle. He is scheduled to return to court Thursday.
