#Change for Gonzalez
On December 16th, 2023, we lost four beautiful souls at the hands of a 5 time drunk driver. I promised myself, their family, and God - that they will never be forgotten.. and we will create positive change in their memory.
Daniel, Fabian, Lilian, and Daniela - You will never be forgotten!
The Crash:
It was a Saturday night shift. I was on patrol and my shift was going just as good as any other. I was pulled over on Highway 10 near Waupaca talking to my Grandma on the phone - when I heard the call get dispatched. It was another wrong way driver on Highway 10 near Weyauwega. This is a location where we get several wrong way driving complaints. I immediately responded, hoping that this would be just like every other wrong way driver - that they would correct themselves prior to me arriving and locating them. Unfortunately, this was not like every other wrong way driving call.
I am only a couple of minutes away when dispatch advises that the wrong way driver had just crashed into another vehicle. I arrived on scene and observed the worst crash scene I have ever seen before in my career. I will never forget walking up to the car and learning that there weren’t just two adult occupants in the front seat - there were also two little girls in the backseat. My heart stopped. The world stood still. All I could think about was “what if these were my two daughters?” I immediately began sobbing and prepared myself for the worse. I, along with a Weyauwega Police Officer, attempted to save them, but God had already taken them home. All four occupants ultimately perished.
The wrong way driver? He was intoxicated with a bottle of vodka sitting next to him. He, of course like most drunk driving fatalities, lives with only minor injuries. He was subsequently arrested and charged with 4 counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a motorized vehicle, OAR causing death, and OWI 5th or 6th offense.
At one point during the investigation, my Sergeant asked me if I was able to handle the rest of the investigation. He said he wanted someone like me on this case. I choked back my tears and told him that I would handle it. I promised myself at that moment, that I would do the best damn OWI investigation that I have ever done - so this suspect never could see the light of day (freedom) ever again.
Through-out the days and weeks ahead, I continued to work on this case. I took it upon myself to do some very tedious and thorough follow up. I even took it upon myself to listen to the suspect’s jail phone calls - in which we learned that he showed NO remorse for what he had done.
Fast forward to November of 2024, the suspect, Scott Farmer of Neenah, was found guilty and sentenced to 37.5 years in prison - with a slough of other penalties. He will most likely die in prison.
The Change:
Shortly after resigning from the Sheriff’s Office - I made the decision that I was going to put everything that I had into making positive change for those four incredible kids we lost that day. I began attending law enforcement committee meetings and highway safety committee meetings - and started bringing REAL attention to this issue. I even was interviewed by WBAY-Channel 2 out of Green Bay (see below). In the 8 years that I have worked in Waupaca County, there has been dozens and dozens of wrong way driving complaints - and even crashes. Nothing was ever done. There were nights when we would have 3 (yes, THREE) wrong way driving complaints. Nothing was ever done. At one point, a crash had occurred just outside of Weyauwega and the suspect had fled the state. Nothing was ever done. You do have to give credit where credit is due - the Sheriff’s Office made a couple Facebook posts encouraging drivers to traveling in the slow lane at night. This was good stuff - just not good enough. It was lazy police work if you want to know the truth.
I started out by making a post on my Facebook page asking the community to participate in coming up with ideas to present to the DOT to help curb the wrong way driving issue. I received an overwhelming response from dozens, if not hundreds of community members.
One day, I stopped in at the Waupaca County Highway Department and had a meeting with the Highway Commissioner - who provided me a contact with the Wisconsin DOT. I was able to have multiple conversations with this contact, who wished to remain anonymous, from the DOT in Wisconsin Rapids. We had a very good, lengthy conversation and I presented them with the ideas I had gathered from community members - and the following diagram:
This diagram is a satellite view of the intersection that Scott Farmer turned the wrong way onto - Highway 10 & Little River Rd. In this diagram, I implemented several new/updated signage ideas and also a few other cost efficient ideas - such as paint and reflective taping. The DOT contact was impressed with the diagram and said they forwarded it up to the “higher ups” at the DOT and they were also impressed with it. This DOT contact also said they had no idea that Scott Farmer had gotten on the wrong way at this intersection.
Within weeks, the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office announced that the DOT was going to be implementing a pilot program in Waupaca County on Highway 10, beginning with this intersection. They would then implement the program to several other high risk intersections in Waupaca County. The DOT released this diagram, almost identical to the one that I had sent them:
The changes that were implemented included almost all of the ones that I had proposed to them. Thank you to the Wisconsin DOT and the powers that be for making this a reality. We have received word from the Waupaca County highway safety committee meeting that there already as been a big decrease in the number of wrong way driving calls. I.E. we are SAVING LIVES!
Since then, I have been beginning to travel the state putting on presentations about this case. My goal, as it has always been, is to hopefully use the Gonzalez’s story as a way to curb young minds from driving while impaired - or even getting in a vehicle with someone who is impaired. I am planning on presenting at schools, civic groups, driver’s education classes, and many others all across the State of Wisconsin. Together - we will SAVE lives in the memory of Daniel, Fabian, Lilian, and Daniela.
