Posted on Mar 22, 2012

Verona’s Chad W. Spurley, 36, was convicted Monday after a no-contest plea to homicide by drunken driving after crashing his car into a tree last April and killing his passenger, 25-year-old Davi E. Dohm.

Assistant District Attorney Emily Thompson agreed to a plea bargain, recommending a sentence of three to four years in prison for Spurley, to be followed by six to seven years of supervision. However, Dane County Circuit Judge William Hanrahan reserves the right to dissolve the agreement, and could choose to sentence Spurley to 15 years in prison on April 30, Spurley’s sentencing date. The sentence could be compounded by up to 10 years of extended supervision following jail time.

Spurley’s plea bargain allowed him to avoid a trial that would have commenced on Monday with jury selection. It also means that Spurley retains his freedom after bail until his sentencing date. 

A criminal complaint places the time of the crash at approximately 1:10 in the morning, when Spurley crashed his SUV into a tree in Verona at the intersection of Lacy Road and Fitchrona Road. Spurley’s blood alcohol concentration was recorded at 0.26 percent, which is over three times Wisconsin’s legal limit for motor vehicle drivers. According to reports, the crash occurred after Spurley had been drinking at several bars over the course of the evening.

Davi E. Dohm, pronounced dead at the scene, was born in Prairie du Sac and graduated in 1993 from Sauk Prairie High School. Dohm was living in Wisconsin and studying Information and Communication Techologies at the University of Wisconsin-Stout graduate school. 

The Madison car crash lawyers at Hupy and Abraham extend their thoughts and sympathies to the family of Davi E. Dohm during this troubling time. 

Read More About Verona Resident Convicted of Drunk Driving Homicide...