VILLAGE OF WALES, Wis. — A 39-year-old Waukesha man accused of hitting and killing a 40-year-old tow truck operator on I-94 on Christmas Eve has been charged.
Christopher Sponholz faces a felony charge of hit-and-run involving death. He was also issued a citation for "failure of occupant to notify police of accident."
If convicted of the hit-and-run, he faces up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Court records show he has a prior felony conviction and pleaded no contest to operating without a valid license in 2021.
Sponholz made his initial court appearance Thursday, Dec. 26, at 1 p.m.
Prosecutors said he was estimated to be driving 80 mph when he struck Hussein Farhat, who was loading a disabled car on the freeway on Dec. 24. Farhat was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Prosecutors say Sponholz did not attempt to slow down and exited the freeway at the next exit.
"The very fact that someone is dead… There's an individual who went to work one night and didn't come home and won't come home," Waukesha County Court Commissioner Daniel Rieck said in court Thursday. "And they won't come home because, allegedly, you thought you hit a deer."
Watch: Man charged in Christmas Eve hit-and-run that killed tow truck operator on I-94
Sponholz turned himself in after the Waukesha Sheriff's Department received an anonymous tip about a vehicle in the Village of Wales that matched the one involved in the crash.
The court set a $750,000 cash bond for Sponholz. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2025.
A memorial service for Farhat will be held at 2 p.m. Friday in Bridgeview, Illinois, his family told TMJ4's Brendyn Jones on Thursday.
The family is encouraging other tow truck drivers to attend. Fellow tow truck drivers paid tribute to Farhat on Wednesday night.
You can watch that story in the video player below:
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