Charges say Thaddeus Smith drunkenly hit, dragged bystander with car after Hudson road rage altercation
HUDSON, Wis. – A St. Paul man faces charges of hit-and-run, reckless driving, operating while intoxicated and more after allegedly running over and dragging a bicyclist following a road rage exchange near a boat launch in Hudson, Wisconsin.
Thaddeus Smith, 34, is charged with two counts of operating while intoxicated causing injury, two counts of hit-and-run, three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety and one count each of reckless driving causing great bodily harm and reckless driving causing injury, St. Croix County court documents show.
According to a criminal complaint, Smith was leaving the Booster Days celebration with his girlfriend and two children Sunday when the road rage incident occurred. Authorities allege he had been drinking and bumped another vehicle waiting to leave, which upset the driver of the vehicle.
After a shouting match between the two drivers, Smith allegedly tried to drive away, hitting two women, one of them on a bicycle, with his car. The bicyclist was dragged by the vehicle as well, the complaint states.
Smith's children, ages 1 and 6, were in the vehicle all the while, according to the complaint.
Investigators said the bicyclist suffered a broken pelvis, broken ribs and collapsed lungs, and may need to have her foot amputated. Regions Hospital said she was in fair condition Thursday afternoon.
The other woman, who was a passenger in the other vehicle involved in the road rage incident, was also injured and taken to Regions Hospital, but the extent of her injuries is unclear. She did tell authorities she was "traumatized" by seeing the bicyclist hit and dragged.
The driver of the other vehicle also injured himself by punching out one of Smith's windows after the collision, the complaint states.
Smith allegedly continued fleeing the scene after the collision, but eventually stopped. A Hudson police officer conducted a traffic stop and reported "a strong odor of intoxicants" from Smith. The officer took him to the Hudson Police Department to perform sobriety tests, but after the first test, Smith allegedly refused to do any more.
Smith was taken to Hudson Hospital where he acceded to a blood draw, the results of which have not been released. The officer who pulled Smith over said there were "open intoxicants" in his vehicle.
In an interview with investigators, Smith's girlfriend said she had seen him consume three alcoholic "shooters," two seltzers and one alcoholic iced tea earlier in the evening, and it's possible he may have had more alcohol. She said she tried to prevent Smith from driving, but he wouldn't let her drive, so "she got into the vehicle hoping they would get home safely," the complaint states.
Smith remains in custody at the St. Croix County Jail.
Note: The video above first aired July 3, 2023.
