A Wisconsin man has learned his fate after driving drunk and colliding with a high school senior, killing her and her dog.
Jason Zehe, 19, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision on Thursday in Waukesha County court, according to local reports, including WITI, a Fox affiliate. He was also ordered to get treatment, stay sober, and complete 200 hours of community service, eight of which must be completed every year on December 30, the day he killed Megan Voss, 17.
Prior to his sentencing, Zehe pleaded guilty to homicide by intoxicated driving and second-degree recklessly endangering safety. Two additional felonies and three misdemeanors were dismissed.
“It was his decision to get into the car,” Judge Michael Aprahamian stated on Thursday. “He could’ve called an Uber. “He did not.”
Investigators discovered that Zehe was at his girlfriend’s home on December 30, 2024, prior to the crash. He reportedly told prosecutors that he had two drinks before getting behind the wheel of his pickup truck, but his girlfriend claimed he had “drank all day,” according to ABC affiliate WISN.
The Wisconsin man is accused of speeding on Sunset Drive in Waukesha before running a stop sign and colliding with an Audi sedan and an SUV on Guthrie Road. Voss drove the Audi and died after being airlifted to a nearby hospital, according to the Waukesha Police Department. Her dog, Bleu, who was in the car with her, had to be put down due to injuries.
Zehe’s girlfriend was in the truck with him and was reportedly partially ejected as a result of the crash, but she did not sustain any life-threatening injuries. The man in the SUV reported no injuries.
According to reports, officers arrived at the scene to find Zehe outside his truck, crying and covered in blood.
“I am just a stupid boyfriend. “I’m just trying to get her home,” Zehe reportedly told responding Waukesha police officers. “I was trying to take her home and then all of a sudden, I don’t know, I don’t know what happened.”
He was also asked if he was headed in the same direction as his vehicle at the crime scene. “Yes, I am not always drunk,” he told WITI. “I crashed.”
Zehe continued to answer questions as he was taken to the hospital to be examined, this time by a paramedic who inquired whether he had been drinking.
He is said to have replied, “Nothing,” and denied using drugs. “No. Like nothing. That is what I’m saying.
However, Zehe later stated while being treated in the ambulance, “I just wish I wasn’t drunk,” according to prosecutors. He continued to speak, adding, “I am the one driving, and yeah, I should get charged.”
Investigators believed Zehe’s girlfriend when she claimed he had been drinking “all day.” His preferred beverages were wine and vodka, which he consumed for eight hours prior to the crash, according to prosecutors, and his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.249, more than triple the legal limit.
According to the Waukesha Freeman, an arrest complaint stated that Zehe claimed his girlfriend’s parents “got him drunk, knew he was drunk, and forced him to leave.” Waukesha County District Attorney Leslie Boese told WITI that charges are being considered against these parents.
“I’m sincerely sorry,” Zehe said Thursday before being sentenced in front of Voss’ family members. “There aren’t enough words to describe how sorry I am.”
