A Wisconsin man has been sentenced to prison after striking an older couple who were crossing a street while holding hands and leaving them seriously injured in the roadway.
Christopher Wood, 34, received a four-year prison sentence after pleading no contest to a felony hit-and-run charge involving great bodily harm. He will also serve five years of extended supervision, according to the latest court reporting.
The crash happened around 8:44 p.m. on December 2, 2025, on Main Street in Merton, a village northwest of Milwaukee. Deputies arriving at the scene found a 64-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman lying in the road. Both were taken to a hospital for emergency treatment.
According to the criminal complaint, the couple was drifting in and out of consciousness when they were found. Their injuries included multiple broken bones and a brain bleed.
Surveillance Video Helped Investigators Reconstruct the Crash
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage that showed the couple checking for traffic before beginning to cross the street together. As they reached the middle of the road, the woman began waving her arms, apparently trying to alert an approaching vehicle.
A blue sedan then struck both pedestrians. The driver briefly slowed down before continuing away from the scene, leaving the injured couple in the roadway.
Investigators later recovered vehicle debris from the crash site. The footage and physical evidence became important parts of the effort to identify the driver.
Damaged Car Led Deputies to a Suspect
The investigation moved forward the following day when a sheriff’s deputy spotted a vehicle parked at a home about a mile from the crash scene. The blue sedan had front-end damage that appeared consistent with the debris collected after the collision.
As the deputy photographed the vehicle, a woman came outside and reportedly indicated that she knew why law enforcement was there. She identified her husband as the person who had been driving the car, according to the criminal complaint.
She told investigators that Wood had left home around 8 p.m. to go for a drive. When he returned, she noticed the damage to the vehicle. She also said she drove him to work the next morning.
Wood later expressed a desire to turn himself in, telling his wife that he wanted to “get it over with,” according to the complaint. Authorities subsequently arrested him at the home.
Investigators Also Reviewed Gas Station Footage
As part of the investigation, authorities examined surveillance video from a gas station. The footage reportedly showed Wood purchasing three cans of Miller High Life shortly before the crash.
Investigators noted that he appeared to lose his balance inside the store. However, the available reporting does not establish a formal finding that alcohol caused the collision.
Couple’s Condition Remains Unclear
The crash left both victims with serious injuries, including broken bones and a brain bleed. Their condition following the initial hospitalization has not been confirmed in the latest sentencing coverage.
Wood’s sentence brings a significant development in a case that began with a driver leaving two injured pedestrians behind. The four-year prison term, followed by five years of extended supervision, reflects the outcome of the criminal proceedings against him.
