Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric J. Toney announced Tuesday that an Appleton man, Samuel J. Coppersmith, has be convicted of four felonies for his involvement in a July 2020 accident.
Coppersmith was convicted of Homicide by Intoxicated Use of Motor Vehicle, two counts of Injury by Intoxicated Use of a Motor Vehicle – Great Bodily Harm, and Knowingly Operating Motor Vehicle while Suspended – Causing Death.
On July 19, 2020 Coppersmith was the driver of a vehicle that crashed on I-41 near the area of Townline Rd. in the Town of Friendship, in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. Coppersmith now faces over 40 years of initial confinement and 28 years of extended supervision. A sentencing date has been set for July 6, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. in Fond du Lac County.
Blood test results after the crash showed Coppersmith had 2.3 ug/L of Delta-9 marijuana in his system. Two blood samples showed Coppersmith had a blood alcohol concentration of between 0.097 and 0.122 g/100mL. Coppersmith has one prior OWI conviction – Causing Injury from Winnebago County Case No. 17CT202.
District Attorney Toney stated “Drunk driving and drugged driving lead to devastating results on our roadways. Here it led to two dead, one paralyzed, and another seriously injured as a result of the irresponsible and dangerous actions of this defendant choosing to drive drunk with marijuana in his system. We will continue to work with law enforcement to aggressively prosecute drunk driving and drugged driving cases for the protection of all those on our roadways.”
This case was investigated by the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Wisconsin State Patrol. I command them for their excellent and thorough investigation, which allowed us to secure these convictions and some measure of justice for our victims and their families.
The case is being prosecuted by District Attorney Eric Toney.
Coppersmith was convicted of Homicide by Intoxicated Use of Motor Vehicle, two counts of Injury by Intoxicated Use of a Motor Vehicle – Great Bodily Harm, and Knowingly Operating Motor Vehicle while Suspended – Causing Death.
On July 19, 2020 Coppersmith was the driver of a vehicle that crashed on I-41 near the area of Townline Rd. in the Town of Friendship, in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. Coppersmith now faces over 40 years of initial confinement and 28 years of extended supervision. A sentencing date has been set for July 6, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. in Fond du Lac County.
Blood test results after the crash showed Coppersmith had 2.3 ug/L of Delta-9 marijuana in his system. Two blood samples showed Coppersmith had a blood alcohol concentration of between 0.097 and 0.122 g/100mL. Coppersmith has one prior OWI conviction – Causing Injury from Winnebago County Case No. 17CT202.
District Attorney Toney stated “Drunk driving and drugged driving lead to devastating results on our roadways. Here it led to two dead, one paralyzed, and another seriously injured as a result of the irresponsible and dangerous actions of this defendant choosing to drive drunk with marijuana in his system. We will continue to work with law enforcement to aggressively prosecute drunk driving and drugged driving cases for the protection of all those on our roadways.”
This case was investigated by the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Wisconsin State Patrol. I command them for their excellent and thorough investigation, which allowed us to secure these convictions and some measure of justice for our victims and their families.
The case is being prosecuted by District Attorney Eric Toney.
