New court records show a West Allis teen was three times the legal limit when his truck slammed into a Waukesha West High School student.
Megan Voss, 17, died Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, after she was rushed to Froedtert Hospital. Jason Zehe, 19, told police he had been drinking for four hours before getting behind the wheel.
Zehe now faces multiple homicide charges including homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and second-degree reckless homicide.
The 19-year-old quietly walked into the courtroom, but Waukesha County Court Commissioner David Herring said Zehe spoke a lot the night of his arrest. Herring said Zehe told police multiple times he was responsible for the deadly crash.
“You indicated, ‘I did it.’ The defendant stated, ‘I deserve to get a DUI or whatever. It is fine,’” Herring said.
Watch: Court: West Allis teen was 3 times legal limit in crash that killed 17-year-old
Jason Zehe faces multiple charges, including second-degree reckless homicide, OWI causing injury, and possession of THC. Court records indicate he was more than three times the legal limit for alcohol when police administered a breath test.
“This defendant was alleged to have a BPT of .238,” said Lesli Boese, Waukesha County District Attorney-elect.
Police say Zehe was speeding and ran a stop sign when he crashed into Megan Voss and another vehicle. Prosecutors say he hit Megan’s driver’s-side door directly.
“He did not have the right of way. He did not slow down. Literally, it was as if he had a gun in his hand, and the victim had very little chance of surviving,” said Boese.
Court records show this isn’t Zehe’s first time being accused of driving under the influence. He previously crashed in the Town of Eagle, where his then-girlfriend used to live. Since that crash occurred on private property, the case was dismissed. At the time of that arrest, he had a blood alcohol level above 0.15, according to documents.
Following Monday’s crash, Zehe told police he often got drunk at his girlfriend’s house in Eagle and then drove home to West Allis.
“Your character, as it relates to you getting behind the wheel of a car, indicates you are a safety risk. You are somebody our community is extremely fearful of,” said Herring.
Zehe was given a $250,000 bail. He has not entered a plea but will likely do so Tuesday, Jan. 7, during his next court appearance.
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