An Onalaska man faces up to 10 years in prison following a head-on collision on Middle Fork Road Sunday morning.
Michael J. Pecor allegedly blew a .206 about four hours after the crash.
Pecor, 73, is charged with one count each of vehicular assault, a Class B felony, and driving while under the influence, a gross misdemeanor.
Pecor made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Monday. A judge set bail at $50,000 cash or bond, and ordered Pecor not to operate a vehicle without a license or insurance. Pecor must obtain an alcohol monitoring device within two court days of his release.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash at about 10:30 a.m. April 26 after a witness reported that a Ford truck had “collided head-on with (a) Jeep-type vehicle.”
The responding deputy noted that both vehicles had “sustained front-end damage,” and saw Pecor “standing near the driver's door of the silver SUV.”
“Fire personnel were instructing Pecor to move away to allow medical access; however, he refused to comply,” the affidavit says.
After directing Pecor from the SUV, the deputy reportedly noticed a “strong odor of intoxicants.”
“Pecor said he was negotiating a corner and had entered into the oncoming lane and as he corrected, the SUV also moved into his lane resulting in the collision,” the affidavit says.
The deputy noted Pecor’s alleged slurred speech, and saw him struggling with his balance.
Pecor allegedly said he’d had a “few cocktails” at The Carlisle, but refused to perform a field sobriety test or preliminary breath test (PBT).
The driver of the SUV, meanwhile, reported that she and her passenger were on Middle Fork Road when Pecor’s truck “entered her lane.”
“She attempted to avoid the collision by serving (sic) into the other lane, but the vehicles collided,” the affidavit says.
Both victims were transported to the hospital. The passenger reportedly suffered a sprained arm, while the driver sustained soreness and bruising.
Deputies arrested Pecor and executed a search warrant for a blood draw at the hospital. After being medically cleared, Pecor was brought to the Lewis County Jail.
“Before booking, he gave a PBT sample at .206 approximately four hours post-collision,” the affidavit says.
Pecor reportedly has a prior conviction for reckless driving, which was amended from DUI, according to prosecutors.
He was scheduled for an arraignment on April 30.
