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James R. Hunt of Plymouth was charged in Sheboygan County Circuit Court with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and hit-and-run resulting in death.
Authorities said 16-year-old Nikki Kehm of Glenbeulah died Tuesday night after leaving a party as she walked along the shoulder of a highway. Another girl, 16-year-old Tara Stiebs, told authorities she heard a “thump” and a car passed without stopping or slowing. Stiebs, who was grazed and had minor injuries, eventually found her friend in a ditch and flagged down a passing motorist to call for help.
Authorities said they found Kehm’s boyfriend, 17-year-old Nicholas Hubing, on the scene. He told authorities he, Kehm, Stiebs and others were at a party when he got into a fight with Hunt and then left on foot.
He heard the sirens and went to the scene.
Authorities also reported speaking with the teen who hosted the party, 18-year-old Dustin Diedrich. He told them Hunt had been using his car earlier in the evening because Diedrich’s license had been suspended.
Hunt came back to the home after the incident, Diedrich told authorities, and his car had a shattered windshield and broken headlight. Diedrich said Hunt told him he may have hit someone and when Diedrich suggested he turn himself, Hunt fled on foot.
Authorities looked for him first at his home in Plymouth and eventually found him at an apartment in Cascade.
Sheriff’s deputies reported that a breathalyzer test showed Hunt’s blood-alcohol level was .177 percent. The legal limit is 0.8 percent.
Bond was set at $250,000. He is due back in court Wednesday.
