The village manager of Fox Point has been charged in connection with a crash that killed a motorcyclist June 25 on Interstate 94 in Waukesha County.
Delafield resident Scott Botcher, 62, who manages operations and services in the Village of Fox Point, was charged with one misdemeanor count of hit and run — attended vehicle.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a fine of between $300 and $1,000, according to a criminal complaint filed June 27 in Waukesha County Circuit Court.
According to the complaint, the motorcyclist rear-ended an SUV while attempting to brake for heavy traffic ahead. The rider, who was not named, was thrown into the next lane where another vehicle, allegedly driven by Botcher, struck him and drove away.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel could not immediately reach Botcher for comment; Assistant Village Manager Kevin Ausman said Botcher was not in June 30.
In an emailed statement to the Journal Sentinel June 30, Village Board President Christine Symchych said the village is still gathering information about the “horribly sad” incident and will not rush to any judgment.
“Scott has served the Village for more than a decade,” Symchych said. “Scott is a human being, and the village will treat him with grace and dignity during this difficult time.
“Right now, we are focusing on our team at the village,” Symchych wrote, adding that staff are well positioned to ensure operations continue uninterrupted. “Their attention is on doing the good work for the community, and their dedication and focus are greatly valued during this difficult time.”
According to the complaint:
On June 25 at around 6:42 p.m., Wisconsin state troopers responded to a Waukesha County Dispatch report of a crash with serious injuries, involving a motorcycle on Interstate 94 westbound near Elmhurst Road in the Town of Delafield.
The State Patrol reviewed video footage from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation that showed a motorcycle behind a white SUV traveling westbound.
The SUV slowed due to heavy traffic ahead. The footage showed the motorcycle braking, but it was not able to stop in time, rear-ending the SUV.
The motorcyclist was ejected into the next lane, where a black passenger vehicle slowed down and steered to the right slightly, but still struck the fallen rider. The car slowed, but continued to drive westbound away from the scene.
Fire and emergency personnel attempted lifesaving measures, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
The highway camera footage was not able to capture the license plate of the black passenger car, but a trooper located a black car part near the victim that displayed the BMW symbol and a part number. This allowed the State Patrol to identify the type of car and eventually connect it to a particular license plate and suspect.
Troopers also reviewed phone numbers that had called 911 around the time of the crash and found that someone called 911 at 6:37 p.m. However, the call had been abandoned, meaning the caller had hung up too quickly for dispatchers to answer it. Dispatchers tracked the cell number to Botcher and found a black BMW sedan registered to his name.
Around 5:30 p.m. June 26, Wisconsin state troopers drove to Botcher’s residence in Delafield, searching for the license plate of the BMW sedan that fled the scene.
At around 7 p.m., a trooper saw a black BMW sedan with the corresponding plate numbers leaving Botcher’s driveway and traveling westbound, eventually stopping at the parking lot of Kwik Trip at Golf Road and Grandview Boulevard.
The trooper noticed damage on part of the car’s hood and undercarriage, and, after the BMW left the lot, conducted a traffic stop to ask Botcher about the damage.
Botcher replied, “I was driving home last night, and there was a motorcycle accident in front of me, and I saw the guy flip, and I think I hit the motorcycle.”
When the trooper asked whether he told anyone about the crash, Botcher replied he did not but had plans to call his insurance company later in the day. Botcher said there was no law enforcement on the scene, and he kept traveling toward home, not knowing what he hit.
State Patrol reviewed DOT camera video footage from before and after the incident. Troopers could see Botcher traveling along I-94 westbound and observed several instances before the crash where he was unable to maintain his lane. They also observed after the crash as Botcher drove away, he was unable to maintain his lane again.
On June 27, Botcher appeared in court, where he pleaded not guilty, and Circuit Judge Arthur Melvin III set his bond at $1,000.
State prosecutors requested access to use DNA evidence in the case. Botcher was also instructed to have no contact with the victim’s family and to not possess or consume any alcohol.
On June 30, the Fox Point Village Board will meet at 4 p.m. to discuss “Village Manager Scott Botcher’s work status and need for leave” in a closed session, according to the meeting agenda. Included in closed session will be the Assistant Village Manager Kevin Ausman, Village Attorney Eric Larson, Clerk and Treasurer Sara Bruckman, Engineering and DPW Director Scott Brandmeier and Police Chief Christopher Freedy.
Botcher’s next appearance in court is scheduled for Aug. 25.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.
This story was updated to add a video.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Fox Point village manager charged in fatal motorcycle crash on I-94 in Delafield
Reporting by Claudia Levens, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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