APPLETON (NBC 26) — A crash earlier this month has claimed the life of a 72-year-old Appleton woman and police say the 17-year-old driver of the other car was under the influence of alcohol.
The Appleton Police Department and Outagamie County Coroner’s Office said Margaret Hopfensperger died April 24 from injuries sustained in the April 9 collision at Wisconsin Avenue and Meade Street.
The crash involved a 17-year-old Appleton boy who police now say was driving under the influence of alcohol. Investigators allege he failed to stop at a red traffic signal and struck the vehicle carrying Hopfensperger and her husband.
Responding officers found one vehicle overturned and another resting in a nearby parking lot. Hopfensperger’s husband, who was behind the wheel, remains hospitalized.
Because of the teenager’s extensive injuries and need for specialized medical care, he has not been jailed, police said.
The department has referred multiple charges to the Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office, including:
- Homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle (WI §940.09(1)(a))
- Homicide by use of a vehicle with prohibited alcohol content (WI §940.09(1)(b))
- Injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle causing great bodily harm (WI §940.25(1)(a))
Police said the investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time.
Editor's note: This web story was written by a human author with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools. All content has been reviewed and edited by the author for accuracy and clarity.
