[taco]

Man seen in tavern after fatal hit, run
Bail set at $25,000 after death of young bicyclist
By DON BEHM
dbehm@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Sept. 28, 2007

West Bend - Two hours after Chad A. Bilgrien struck three boys on two bicycles, killing 13-year-old Parker Klumb, he walked into a Slinger tavern and hung around until a patron gave him a ride to an ex-girlfriend's home, a Washington County sheriff's detective said Friday. Witnesses at the Raceway Pub & Grill described his clothes as wet and full of weed seeds. His appearance likely came from walking through wetlands and woodlots to avoid being caught after running from the heavily damaged vehicle he left behind in a gravel parking lot northwest of the intersection of U.S. Highway 41 and County Highway K, Detective Mark Sette said at a bail hearing in Washington County Circuit Court.


The lot is less than a mile east of the crash scene near the crest of a hill on Highway K, east of Kettle Moraine Road. Slinger is two miles southeast of the lot.

Bilgrien, 35, of Addison, arrived at an ex-girlfriend's apartment in Germantown at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, and that is where the detective and other officers caught up with Bilgrien at 12:44 a.m. Friday - more than seven hours after he left 13-year-old Parker to die on Highway K, authorities said.

On Friday, Washington County Circuit Judge Patrick Faragher found probable cause that Bilgrien was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash and set bail at $25,000. District Attorney Todd Martens asked for a large cash bail amount to prevent Bilgrien from skipping the next court hearing and fleeing the area.

His next court appearance is set at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday before Faragher, where he likely will face one or more criminal charges of hit-and-run causing injury and death, Sheriff Dale Schmidt said.

Parker was a member of the seventh-grade youth football team at Slinger Middle School. The team, sponsored by the Slinger Gridiron Club, is scheduled to play today at Oconomowoc.

The three boys were riding bikes on K and planned to go to a gasoline station and convenience store on Aurora Road, northwest of the intersection of K and 41, said Stacy Cain, a family friend and neighbor on Limestone Drive in Addison. They were going there to buy a snack.

Parker was sitting behind one of the boys on a bike when both bikes were struck from the rear by the four-door Buick at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

A preliminary investigation shows that Bilgrien was driving around the posted speed limit of 55 mph at the time of the collision, so excessive speed is not considered a factor in the crash, Schmidt said.

Parker was pronounced dead at the scene from head injuries, Sette said at Friday's hearing.

Both of the other two boys injured in the crash were released from hospitals Friday morning.

Faragher cited Bilgrien's decision to flee the scene of the crash, where he was legally obligated to provide aid, and his criminal record in setting a high bail. Bilgrien is unemployed after losing a job at a Hartford manufacturer the day before the crash.

Schmidt said Bilgrien had a valid driver's license.

In July of this year, Bilgrien was ticketed in Dodge County for failure to notify police of an accident.

Bilgrien's felony record includes a September 1992 conviction in Chippewa County for taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent.

He was divorced in May 2005 while living in West Bend. In March of this year, he was found in contempt of court in Washington County for failing to pay child support.

"He has a history of drug and alcohol abuse with 10 arrests on his record," Martens said.

Parker is survived by his parents, Kenneth and Elizabeth, a brother, Eric, and sister, Emma, and other relatives.

Visitation for Parker is scheduled for 3 to 7 p.m. Monday at Phillip Funeral Home chapel, 1420 W. Paradise Drive, West Bend. A funeral begins at 7 p.m. His body is to be cremated.

The family suggests memorials in Parker's name to Slinger Youth Football Organization, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), or the Slinger School District's high school football program.

[FilLaB0NGo7]

kid I went to school with got hit by a car and died while riding his bike home when I was in like 5th grade, he was in 7th. His dad was the football coach and the man but he moved down south shortly after the accident. Shitty thing to happen but can happen in the blink of the eye..

[FilLaB0NGo7]

Originally Posted by taco

Bilgrien's felony record includes a September 1992 conviction in Chippewa County for taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent.

That's a Felony these days?

[TheDriver]

I'm not reading all that shit.

[Gag]

I don't see the point in running if you run someone down. I mean fuck, what're kids doing biking on the highway anyways?
Irresponsible parenting up the wazoo!

In all seriousness though, the guy deserves a serious ass whooping.

[FilLaB0NGo7]

Originally Posted by Gag

I don't see the point in running if you run someone down. I mean fuck, what're kids doing biking on the highway anyways?
Irresponsible parenting up the wazoo!

In all seriousness though, the guy deserves a serious ass whooping.

right, if he said it was an accident and the sun was in his eyes or something he would have gotten off a lot easier. Now his only shot is an insanity plea.

and why the hell would he ditch his ride?

[Gag]

Originally Posted by FilLaB0NGo7

right, if he said it was an accident and the sun was in his eyes or something he would have gotten off a lot easier. Now his only shot is an insanity plea.

and why the hell would he ditch his ride?

Why would he run through swamps and shit, then goto a bar?
The guy must've been loaded or on some hard shit.

[AnnonUSA]

He is a no good cock sucker and hopefully will get the death penalty or be killed in the joint by other inmates.

[ßü††|맧]

Originally Posted by Gag

In all seriousness though, the guy deserves a serious ass whooping.

Originally Posted by AnnonUSA

He is a no good cock sucker and hopefully will get the death penalty or be killed in the joint by other inmates.

Asshole deserves life in front of a firing squad.

[Gag]

True enough.^^
I think it'd be appropriate to run him down, then just leave him crawling around on the road until he died.