Left: Police in Muskego, Wisconsin, investigate a car crash that left a 77-year-old woman dead. Right: Casey Yiannackopoulos (Muskego Police Department).
A man from Wisconsin is facing serious charges after allegedly driving under the influence, crashing his vehicle into a ditch, and abandoning his mother, who was left to die in the passenger seat.
Casey Yiannackopoulos, aged 47, is charged with first-degree reckless homicide, hit-and-run resulting in death, and two counts of resisting or obstructing law enforcement. Authorities responded to a report of a single-car crash around 7:15 p.m. on Sunday in the S7100 block of Hillendale Drive, located in Muskego, a suburb of Milwaukee.
Upon arrival, officers discovered a 77-year-old woman in the front passenger seat, with no other occupants in the vehicle. The driver, identified as Yiannackopoulos, had fled the scene. Rescue teams had to break through the vehicle’s windows to reach her. Although she was unconscious, she was still breathing and was immediately transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead approximately an hour later. Her identity has not been disclosed.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, witnesses reported seeing Yiannackopoulos fleeing the scene. They described him as appearing intoxicated, noting his unsteady gait and the smell of alcohol. Yiannackopoulos allegedly told bystanders he would seek help but never returned, according to police.
Surveillance footage reportedly captured Yiannackopoulos speeding in a 30 mph zone at an estimated 50 mph before veering off the road and crashing.
Authorities discovered that Yiannackopoulos’ mother lived nearby the crash site. Upon entering the residence, they found a ladder leading to a crawl space with the door slightly open. Yiannackopoulos allegedly refused to come down and verbally confronted the officers. At approximately 10:45 p.m., police deployed a drone into the crawl space, where they discovered Yiannackopoulos hiding beneath some blankets and a plastic bin cover.
He eventually had to be physically removed and taken into custody, the affidavit said. Cops said he had bloodshot and glassy eyes. Yiannackopoulos allegedly said “it was an accident” and he would have been “way more cooperative” if he knew at the scene that his mother was dead, according to the complaint. Hospital staff drew his blood and the results are pending, cops said.
Court Commissioner Daniel Rieck seemed flabbergasted at Yiannackopoulos’ alleged actions.
“As I read through your criminal complaint, sir, quite frankly, the word that came to mind over and over was depraved,” Rieck said, according to a courtroom report from local ABC affiliate WISN. “This went from driving while drunk, having what one would presume is a very unfortunate, traumatic accident, losing your mother, but then quite literally leaving her to die. Why? Because you didn’t want to get in trouble.”
Yiannackopoulos remains in the Waukesha County Jail on a $750,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for Thursday.
