TOWN OF WEST BEND, Wis. — A Whitefish Bay school official is charged with killing a man in a drunken driving crash in December.
Rebecca Salomon, 51, associate principal at Cumberland Elementary, is charged in the fatal crash, which occurred at 8:12 p.m. on Dec. 29.
Salomon faces one count of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and one count of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration, according to a criminal complaint.
According to the complaint, Salomon ran a stop sign in the town of West Bend and struck another car. She told a deputy she had been at Lucky Shots, a tavern in West Bend, and admitted to drinking three margaritas.
Watch: Whitefish Bay school official charged in fatal West Bend drunken driving crash
She failed field sobriety tests, and her blood alcohol level was 0.10, according to the complaint. Her male passenger was arrested after allegedly acting hostile toward the responding deputy, the complaint states.
The other driver died in January, just five days after the crash. The Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the immediate cause of death was craniocerebral injuries from the crash.
An investigation showed Salomon’s vehicle was traveling 52 mph five seconds before the crash and 47 mph 0.1 seconds before impact. The victim’s vehicle was going 41 mph just seconds before the crash.
The Whitefish Bay superintendent sent an alert to families Monday, saying Salomon has not returned to work since the district learned of the situation.
If convicted, she faces up to 50 years in prison.
You can read the school's full statement below:
"Dear Cumberland Families, The District leadership and School Board are aware of a personnel matter occurring off District property and outside the school day involving a Cumberland staff member which has been the subject of media attention. We want to assure you that no one else within the school community was involved in this matter. While we cannot share further details due to privacy rights, please know the matter is being handled with the utmost care and seriousness. As soon as we were made aware of this matter, the staff member was not at work at Cumberland and still has not returned to work. When personnel matters arise, District leadership is committed to handling them with the utmost diligence and prudence. While legal requirements, as well as privacy considerations, limit the information we can share publicly, please know that we thoroughly investigate every situation. We remain steadfast in following all District policies and state and federal laws regarding personnel matters to ensure fairness and integrity throughout the process. In alignment with the District’s mission to provide a safe, caring, and inclusive environment, other administrators in the District are actively providing support to Principal Heffron as well as the Cumberland students, staff, and families. School operations will continue uninterrupted, ensuring stability and focus for the entire school community. We appreciate your patience, trust, and understanding as we work through this matter. Thank you for your continued partnership in making Cumberland an Exceptional Place to Learn. If you have any questions, recognizing that the District cannot provide information on personnel matters, please contact me at 414-963-3901."
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