2 days ago
Waukesha hit-and-run; woman pleads no contest, sentenced to prison
The Brief
57-year-old Tara Felten pleaded no contest to charges stemming from a hit-and-run in Waukesha that severely injured a man.
She was sentenced to two years in prison with three years of extended supervision.
She must also complete community service.
MILWAUKEE - A Waukesha woman accused of operating while intoxicated and causing a crash that critically injured a man pleaded no contest and was sentenced to prison on Thursday, June 5, 2025.
57-year-old Tara Felten pleaded no contest to two felonies: OWI causing injury and hit-and-run causing injury.
A third count, injury by use of a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration (PAC) with a passenger under the age of 16, was dismissed on the prosecutor's motion.
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Felten was sentenced to two years in prison with three years of extended supervision, concurrent with a nine-month jail sentence.
She was fined and must also complete 50 hours of community service.
The backstory
It happened around 6:15 p.m. near Hartwell and White Rock.
Prosecutors say the victim, a 63-year-old man, suffered a brain bleed, aortic injury, a broken leg and more. Investigators say the woman who hit him took off.
When Helen Bishara looked out her front window Saturday night, there was a heartbreaking sight. Just after 6 p.m., she watched as first responders helped a man who had just been hit by a car.
"There was no screeching, no honking," Bishara said. "There was no car. It was just a guy laying in the road. I have no idea if he was crossing or anything. I just know that they were treating him in the street there."
Police arrested Felten after tracking her vehicle with flock cameras. Investigators say someone called 911 to report a driver swerving through lanes of traffic near Moreland and Main Street, almost hitting a pole.
Police say when they told her she was being investigated for hit-and-run while intoxicated, Felten asked, "A person? A vehicle? A squirrel?"
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Prosecutors say Felten has two prior OWIs.
"There were a lot of alcohol cans all up and down the street in this area," Bishara said. "Instantly, my husband suspected a drunk driver."
The Source
The information in this post was produced using the criminal complaint in the case plus online court records.
