UPDATE: Passenger Killed in Drunken Driving Crash
Jaron Omon of Port Washington is charged with homicide by intoxicated use of vehicle in the early morning crash that killed Kelly Phillips of Port Washington.
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The driver of the car in a one-vehicle crash early Sunday morning that killed Kelly Phillips of Port Washington is being charged with homicide by intoxicated use of vehicle.
Ozaukee County Sheriff Deputies responded to the one-vehicle fatal crash at 6 a.m. Sunday at County Highway C north of Ulao Road in the town of Grafton, according to a press release from the Ozaukee County Sheriff's Office.
The driver of the vehicle was identified as Jaron Omon of Port Washington. Omon was not injured during the crash. Omon was charged with one count of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and is currently in the Ozaukee County Jail. His bail was set at $25,000.
More from the criminal complaint:
Ozaukee County Deputy Joseph Milczarek responded to the call of an accident with serious injuries at 5:51 a.m. Upon arrival, he noticed the vehicle — a 4-door silver Mitsubishi — in the middle of the road fasting east; smoke was coming from under the hood.
Milczarek approached and found Phillips, who was already dead.
The driver, Omon, was leaving a nearby residence when police arrived. Upon speaking with Omon, Milczarek noted no injuries but could see "his eyes were heavily bloodshot and glossy, his speech was heavily slurred and there was a strong odor of intoxicants coming from his breath," according to the criminal complaint.
Omon told the officer he had been driving Phillips home, but he did not remember where they were coming from or how the accident occurred. He told police he exited the vehicle imeadiately after the crash, and knew that Phillips was killed.
Omon failed field sobriety tests and his preliminary blood test showed a .22 blood alcohol content. He was arrested and transported to Aurora Hospital in Grafton so they could draw blood; his sample was sent to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene for analysis.
Omon is expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. June 18.
Jennifer Vazquez
11:46 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Kelly was an amazing woman, mother, nurse, friend... she deserved better than this.
Terry
6:10 am on Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Indeed a sad story. Two lives lost, one ruined and one dead, because some still feel they are entitled to consume alcohol and drive.
Kathy W
12:59 am on Monday, June 18, 2012
I guess I'm confused, better than what from whom?
I hope the blame isn't being put solely on this fella.
CL149
8:17 am on Monday, June 18, 2012
I agree with Kathy W. No matter what a great person she might have been, I sure hope this guy doesn't get 100% of the blame. She chose to get in the car with a drunk guy. Sad for both of them.
Terry
4:27 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Was her decision to get into the car with him irresponsible... perhaps. If so, that is now for those other than us to judge.
But he is still here, and yes, the lions share of the blame will be placed on him. And that is as it should be. There would never been a final ride for her to take if he had not made the conscious decision to drink himself blotto and then apply keys to car.
Right or wrong, the responsibility IS all his. It is just part of the risk you take when you drive drunk.
Bill T.
7:53 pm on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Driving drunk is wrong and resulted in this tragic accident. It is also wrong to get in a car with a drunk driver -- you accept the risk. People need to know that Jaron is an Eagle Scout and recently saved a young boy from drowning in a river on a scout trip. Also, has no prior record. He is probably the only one who volunteed to drive Kelly home that fateful morning. It is just a sad, tragic episode in life -- still he is responsible and will accept his punishment. He is a really good human being!!!
Megan
10:36 pm on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
First and foremost, who are we to "judge" anyone's lives but our own. Drinking and driving is very wrong and should not be condoned. Sadly, however, many people who consume alcohol (regardless of how much) have been behind the wheel when they shouldn't have been. This is a tragic accident of two great people that both have partial responsibility in what happened. All those who judge this situation/story, I only wish you personally knew the quality of person Jeron is. If it tells you anything about the quality of person he is, Kelly's own family, while mourning, has no hard feelings toward someone their daughter was so fond of. This whole thing is tragic and heart breaking.
Terry
4:25 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
OK., enough. I've been trying to be conciliatory, since this is a sad story for all concerned. It may not be our place to "judge", but that doesn't mean we all have to throw up our hands and say "oh well" either.
The criminal in this case, Jaron Omon, may very well be a nice, quality person. I won't argue that point. Our prisons have plenty of nice people in them that except for their crimes, would be people you could even get to like.
What he did here was a crime, and a woman is dead because of it. We can debate all we want about her responsibility mitigating his, because she willingly got into the car with him.
But what about everyone else that he endangered? He lit himself up to almost three times the legal limit, got into a car, and drove it (at almost twice the posted speeds if what I have heard is accurate). He put everyone driving or living near that road in danger. Have you been to the accident scene? Had he not hit that tree, he would have likely plowed into that house. How many dead then. Would it be partly their fault for sleeping so near the roadway?
Until we start "judging" these as crimes, and the people committing them as criminals, we will continue to see these stories all to frequently.
jackie
5:15 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
Although tragic and sad for both families involved in this debate. In which it shouldn't be a debate period. Regardless of how great the person was, he made that choice to drink and drive, He was risking the lives of everyone surrounding the incident from the time he left the bar. Kelly( God rest her soul) made that choice to get in the car with a drunk person. That is wrong with so many people in Wisconsin today, they feel that drinking is ok and people will continue to drink and drive long after this. Wisconsin rank in the top 10 in the nation for alcohol consumption because its a ( heritage). Regardless of how nice Jaron and Kelly is and was, they both made a CHOICE. And they both suffered dearly for it.
jules phillips
10:48 pm on Saturday, April 27, 2013
My mom was the most AMAZING women anyone could have met :'( i want her back! she was talented, beautiful, artistic, and one heck of a mom :( R.I.P mommy