Austin Laakonen (Oconto Co. Jail)
OCONTO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A judge entered a not guilty plea Wednesday for a driver charged in connection with a fatal crash after he tested positive for marijuana.
Austin Laakonen, 22, is charged with homicide by vehicle with use of a controlled substance, homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle, and possession of THC for the June 30, 2023, crash which killed his girlfriend, Aubrey Williams, 19.
After testimony Wednesday at a preliminary hearing, Laakonen was ordered to stand trial. In the arraignment phase, Laakonen stood mute, meaning he did not enter either a guilty or not guilty plea. As is the practice, the judge then entered a not guilty plea on his behalf, court records show.
No trial date was set. He returns to court Dec. 10 for a pre-trial conference.
Unlike alcohol, for which state law has permitted levels, Wisconsin has a zero-tolerance for cannabis. Any detected amount can result in criminal charges.
The crash happened on I-41, south of County Highway W in the Town of Little River, just after 7 p.m. Authorities say the motorcycle was traveling north on I-41 when the motorcycle made contact with an SUV just as the motorcycle was changing lanes.
A blood test showed no alcohol in Laakonen’s system, but he tested positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
Also, Laakonen did not have a license to have a passenger, the complaint states. A citation was issued for that.
Although the crash happened in June, the lab results weren’t returned to investigators until the following January. The charges were filed Feb. 21.
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