A 22-year-old man reached a plea deal Tuesday to charges stemming from a drunk driving crash that killed a nursing student in Caledonia in December.
Prosecutors say Ernesto R. Regalado Rodriguez was drunk when he slammed into Johanna Renee Pascoe of Racine. Pascoe was driving to work when she was killed in the crash on Highway 32 on Dec. 12, 2022.
Rodriguez was charged with one felony count of homicide by intoxicated use of vehicle, one felony count knowingly operate without valid license - cause death, one felony count first-degree recklessly endangering safety, and one felony count homicide by use of vehicle with PAC.
During a plea hearing on Tuesday, three charges were dismissed, leaving Rodriguez only facing one felony count of homicide by intoxicated use of vehicle. The state requested he faces 15 years in prison with 10 years of extended supervision.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 2, 2023.
Driver had several beers before fatally crashing into Racine nurse
According to a criminal complaint, dispatchers received an alert from an Apple Watch reporting a crash and that the driver was not responding.
At the scene, officers found two vehicles, one with extensive damage to the driver's side and the other vehicle resting on top of a guard rail. They found the victim, Pascoe, unconscious. She was brought to the hospital, where she died.
Rodriguez was at the scene. He failed a breathalyzer test and officers say they found four empty beer bottles in his car. There was a language barrier between him and the officers.
An investigation found he was driving southbound on Highway 32 when he lost control, crossed the center line, and crashed into the victim's car.
During a police interview, Rodriguez said he did not remember the crash but believed he was OK to be driving. He said he had consumed three 16 oz beers.
20-year-old nursing student killed on her way to work
The day before 20-year-old Johanna Renee Pascoe of Racine was killed, she made ornaments with her nephews and spent time with her two sisters.
She dedicated her graduation speech to her sisters. They attended her nurse pinning ceremony at Gateway Technical College, where she worked her way through school and was on the Dean’s List.
They never imagined that within three days, Johanna’s life would be cut tragically short.
“I was at work Monday morning,” said Elisha Pascoe, Johanna’s oldest sister. “I was on a break telling my coworkers about Johanna’s graduation ceremony, and I kept getting these random phone calls that I thought were spam, but when I listened to the voicemail, it was Caledonia Police.”
Police told Elisha that Johanna had been in a bad car crash, was extricated from her car, and airlifted to Froedtert. Doctors did everything they could, but they told Johanna’s family that she had died on impact, could not breathe on her own, and was brain dead.
“We were in shock,” said Elisha. “We just held her and rubbed her arms. Deep down we were really hoping that she’d just wake up, even though the doctors told us she was gone.”
They can’t help but be angry but are trying to focus on planning a beautiful memorial service to honor Johanna’s life.
“She had the brightest future,” said Elisha. “She was filled with a passion for life. She had a zest for learning and taking care of people. She had the kindest heart and everybody who knew her or met her could see how bright her light was. There’s no reason for anyone to drink and drive. It is such a senseless, selfish act.”
A GoFundMe page has also been created to help Johanna’s family.
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