Background: News footage of Douglas Proehl in court on April 13 for his arraignment (WBAY). Inset: Chloe (left) and Dan Bishop (GoFundMe).
A Wisconsin resident, accused of driving under the influence and causing a fatal accident by running a red light, has entered a plea of not guilty.
Douglas Proehl, 69, appeared in a Brown County court on Monday to face charges linked to a tragic car accident in January. The collision resulted in the death of 17-year-old Chloe Bishop and left her father, Daniel Bishop, with severe injuries. Proehl faces several charges, including homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, two counts of operating while intoxicated (OWI) causing injury, prohibited alcohol concentration (PAC) causing injury, and homicide by use of a vehicle with PAC.
According to an updated criminal complaint from local Fox station WLUK, authorities detected alcohol on Proehl’s breath at the crash site in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. Proehl reportedly refused to cooperate with a sobriety test and used profanity towards the officers.
WLUK further reported that the revised complaint, filed on Monday, includes a new blood alcohol content reading. Police records indicate Proehl’s BAC was 0.115 on the evening of January 30, exceeding the legal limit of 0.08. Proehl allegedly admitted to consuming two “regular tall beers” about 90 minutes prior to the accident. While he initially claimed to have been at a restaurant with his wife, officers noted that he began to slur his words and appeared disoriented, as if searching for answers.
Officers took Proehl to the Ashwaubenon Public Safety garage for further sobriety testing, where they suspected he was under the influence. According to the initial complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, Proehl became loud during the tests and remarked, “I don’t really give a s—. Let’s knock off the bulls—.” He refused to perform a “one leg stand test,” insisted on legal representation, and was subsequently arrested.
Before his transfer to jail, Proehl was taken to a hospital for assessment. The complaint indicates that Proehl expressed frustration about the collision, allegedly commenting, “They drove in front of me and I was like, you got to be kidding,” and adding, “They didn’t leave me any time at that intersection.”
Police said Proehl “continued to utter that he just got the truck approximately two months ago,” telling an officer that he went all the way to California to buy it. According to the complaint, Proehl “seemed more concerned about how his truck was involved in an accident versus how the occupants from the other vehicle were doing.” Proehl was apparently “joking about his situation” and expressed concern about how much his phone call from jail was going to cost.
According to the complaint, the fatal collision was caught on surveillance cameras. The Toyota Corolla carrying the Bishops was seen waiting at a green light to make a left turn at an intersection. As the light turned yellow, other vehicles began slowing down.
Proehl’s truck was then allegedly captured “traveling at a noticeably higher rate of speed, approaching the intersection” before it sailed through a red light and struck Bishop’s vehicle. Police said they did not see Proehl’s brake lights until “just prior” to the collision. A witness corroborated to police that they saw Proehl’s truck run a red light.
Bishop, who broke several ribs in the crash that allegedly killed his daughter, told police that he never heard Proehl hit the brakes. He told police he saw the truck speeding toward him, but he was unable to get out of the way in time. According to the complaint, Bishop told police, “This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me, knowing I’ll never speak to my daughter again. I am not angry, just sad and depressed.”
According to online court records, Proehl was charged with OWI in 2022. The case remains open; Proehl was scheduled to appear in court on Monday in connection with that case.
During Proehl’s arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. A judge denied a request to reduce his bond from $500,000, and he remains in custody at the Brown County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court for a status conference on July 20.
Family members of the Bishops have set up a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral expenses and medical bills.
