Man charged in death of motorcycle passenger

A Beldenville man was charged Oct. 2 in Pierce County Circuit Court with vehicular homicide and reckless driving, causing bodily harm.

George D. Budd, 54, is scheduled to make his first court appearance 10:45 a.m., Oct. 23. Both charges, which stem from a March 17 incident in Martell, are felonies.

According to the criminal complaint:

At about 8:10 p.m. March 17, Pierce County sheriff’s deputies were called to a car versus motorcycle accident on 650th Street, north of County Road J.

When officers arrived, Budd identified himself as the driver of the car. He said he was southbound on 650th Street, approaching his driveway at N7652, when he noticed the headlight from an oncoming vehicle in the distance. He said that as he started to make his turn, the motorcycle came over the hill at a high rate of speed and struck his car.

The report says Budd was asked three times if he had had anything to drink before he finally said yes after his preliminary breath test registered a .13. He was given a series of field sobriety tests, including another breath test, which showed a .128. He was taken to River Falls Area Hospital for a blood draw and then taken to Pierce County Jail and booked on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

Deputies again asked Budd for his version of what happened. He said the motorcycle came up over the hill at a high rate of speed and collided with the front passenger side of his truck.

He said he saw the motorcycle’s driver, identified as Glen Nelson, 48, Hammond, hit the windshield of his truck, but didn’t see his passenger, Julie Nelson, 47. Budd was unsure of the motorcycle’s speed but estimated it to be at least 65 mph. He said he was not injured.

In the meantime, deputies found Glen, who was conscious, but severely injured. He kept asking what happened and about his wife. Deputies also found Julie, who was unresponsive. Both Nelsons were transported to Regions Hospital due to the severity of their injuries.

The wife was pronounced dead the next day. The husband was a patient in the hospital until July.

In April, deputies got the results back from the state on Budd’s blood draw, which showed a .11.

The vehicular homicide is a Class G felony, with a maximum penalty of $25,000 and 10 years in prison. The reckless driving is a Class I felony with the maximums being $10,000 and 42 months in prison.

Tags: fatal accident, pierce county, traffic, news, wisconsin