Teen Dies from Injuries Suffered in Crash That Injured 2 Deputies

Ihor M. Sahan, 18, of St. Francis, is charged with killing his friend in a car accident that injured two Waukesha County sheriff’s deputies on Interstate 94 in Brookfield on Thursday.

The Waukesha County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed Monday it will conduct an autopsy on Sahan’s friend, 17-year-old Ryan Petri, who was transported to Children’s Hospital by Flight For Life. A criminal complaint states Petri, who was not wearing a seatbelt, sustained massive brain trauma from the crash.

Sahan is charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and two counts of misdemeanor causing injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle. Sahan faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the homicide.

Sahan was charged Friday, but the charges were upgraded to homicide Monday.

Sahan was driving Petri home from a concert in Madison where Sahan admitted he consumed six vodka and Gatorade drinks, according to the criminal complaint.

While Sahan was driving home, the complaint states, two deputies were parked on the freeway in a Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department’s squad car. Sahan was driving 74 mph before crashing into the vehicle, the deputies reported.

The deputies reported being struck “very hard” in the accident that dislodged the squad car’s computer, chipped a deputy’s tooth and spun the squad car around. Sahan’s vehicle was engulfed in flames, so the deputies pulled Sahan from the vehicle and freed Petri, who was unresponsive, according to the criminal complaint.

Sahan’s blood alcohol concentration was .135 percent, the complaint states.

“I had started getting tired and fell asleep (while driving), behind the wheel. … I realized, I had crashed and my car was in flames,” Sahan told investigators, the complaint states. “My friend was unconscious and an officer from the squad car came out and pulled my friend out.”

One deputy is receiving treatment for back and neck pain, a contusion to his arm and a kneecap injury. His medical treatment is ongoing. The other deputy, who had a contusion to his head, and back and neck pain, will return to work Thursday where he will be able to perform “sedentary work,” according to the complaint.

Sahan remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail. He returns to court Tuesday.