Altoona man enters not guilty plea in vehicular homicide case

Apr. 13—CHIPPEWA FALLS — An Altoona man accused of using marijuana, then striking and killing a pedestrian with his car in September, pleaded not guilty on Monday.

Trevor J. Plemon, 25, 947 Alsace St., is charged in Chippewa County Court with two counts of homicide by use of vehicle while using controlled substances, possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Judge Ben Lane set a return court date for June 16 for a motion hearing. No trial dates have been set.

Plemon was present in court but didn't speak. He was initially held on a $10,000 cash bond, but that was reduced to $1,000 Oct. 7, and he posted the amount on Feb. 2. As a condition of his release, he must take daily preliminary breath tests.

Plemon is accused of hitting Christine J. Prueher, 63, of Greenfield, who died from her injuries.

The car-pedestrian crash occurred at 6:24 p.m. Sept. 16, near Highway 64 and 190th Avenue, west of Highway 40.

A Gibson Water Care box truck, driven by Plemon, was westbound on Highway 64 when it struck Prueher on a curve in the roadway. Police found her lying unresponsive on the eastbound shoulder.

Prueher was taken to an area hospital, then was flown to Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire. She underwent surgery, but died from her injuries.

When interviewed by police, Plemon stated Prueher was in the middle of the road and he could not stop the vehicle in time.

Plemon allowed the officers to search his vehicle, and officers located a zippered bag which contained a smoking device and THC wax.

Plemon admitted he had used the substance the previous day. The contents of the bag and the smoking device tested positive for marijuana. Plemon refused an officer's request to be taken to a hospital for a blood draw that could have determined if marijuana was in his system at the time of the crash. A blood draw was later taken.

"There was drugs found in his system," Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell said at the preliminary hearing. "Wisconsin is a zero tolerance regarding restricted controlled substance. It doesn't matter how he did on field sobriety."

The accident remains under investigation. The case has been delayed because it was originally assigned to Judge Steve Gibbs, but Plemon's attorney, Jay Heit, requested a substitute judge be named.

At the preliminary hearing March 1, Heit told the court that Plemon was going 30 to 35 mph at the time of the crash, and the sun was bright and in his eyes.