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Wis. man charged with driving into firefighter

The man said he was rushing to go to McDonald’s

By Jim Stevens
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A City of Pewaukee man was charged Saturday with allegedly hitting a Milwaukee firefighter with his car Thursday afternoon as the man said he was in a hurry to get to a McDonald’s.

Chris A. Younger, 37, of N39 W27436 Hillside Grove, was charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with second-degree recklessly endangering safety.

According to the criminal complaint:

Younger attempted to drive around an area blocked by traffic cones at an accident scene at North Holton Street and West Keefe Avenue.

Firefighters told police they yelled at Younger to stop his Mercedes-Benz, but Younger allegedly said, “I’m going through here.”

Younger then pulled forward and hit firefighter Terry Saugstad in the knee, backed up and drove off as other firefighters got out of the way. Younger was later arrested at his City of Pewaukee home.

Younger told police he wanted to get a soda at a McDonald’s on Capitol Drive before getting on the highway to go to a business meeting. He said a firefighter was pounding on his window, ordering him to get out of his car.

Younger then recalled the firefighter saying, “He hit my partner.”

A court commissioner on Monday set a cash bond at $1,500. Younger is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 23 for a preliminary hearing. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Copyright 2010 Journal Sentinel Inc.