Truck Accident Claims Life of 93-Year-Old as Driver Allegedly Distracted by Snapchat

In a tragic case from Wisconsin, a man is now facing the possibility of a ten-year prison sentence after a shocking incident involving a retired priest. The man, identified as Clay Schueffner, 26, from St. Cloud, was accused of fatally striking 93-year-old David H. Gau with his pickup truck while preoccupied with taking and sending selfies on Snapchat, according to prosecutors.

On Monday, Schueffner entered a plea of no contest to the charge of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. The incident, which occurred in February 2024, resulted in the elderly victim being thrown into the air, sustaining injuries that proved to be fatal.

Details from a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime revealed that Schueffner initially claimed to authorities that he was focused on the GPS navigation on his phone when the collision occurred. However, further investigation uncovered that Snapchat was in use just seconds before Schueffner’s vehicle struck Gau, who was crossing the street with the aid of a walker.

The complaint detailed that Schueffner’s phone captured three selfie images that were sent to other Snapchat users at times precisely matching the seconds leading up to the tragic event. These timestamps, sent at 1:39:53 p.m., 1:39:57 p.m., and 1:40:00 p.m., were closely followed by the viewing of a Snapchat video at 1:40:18 p.m.

Law enforcement pointed out that these activities coincided with surveillance footage showing Schueffner’s GMC Sierra hitting Gau without any apparent attempt to brake or swerve. The police narrative suggested Schueffner was fixated on his phone, specifically Snapchat, rather than the road, leading to the devastating accident.

Notably, in his statements to the police, Schueffner did not disclose his use of Snapchat during the incident, an omission highlighted in the affidavit. This case underscores the dangerous consequences of distracted driving, particularly involving mobile phone usage.

Schueffner allegedly told cops at the scene that he works in construction and was on a job near Froedtert Hospital, which is approximately one mile away from where Gau was hit. He stated that he was driving eastbound on Wisconsin Avenue and was going 42 mph, according to the complaint.

“He thought he better slow down because the speed limit is 35 mph,” police recounted, citing Schueffner’s comments to cops. “[Schueffner] stated that between looking at the speedometer and his GPS, he was looking down for approximately 4 seconds, at which time he looked back up and saw Gau and had no time to react, then he struck Gau.”

Schueffner claimed he slammed on the brakes and stood by with Gau, as other people were already calling 911, according to the complaint. Police said witnesses reported hearing Schueffner make multiple comments about what he said happened after getting out of his truck, including “I looked down at my speedometer” and “I was looking at an address and didn’t see him.”

Surveillance footage showed Gau waiting until traffic was clear and it was “safe to cross,” then began to walk northbound, according to the complaint.

“As Gau gets closer to the center line, [Schueffner’s] blue GMC truck appears on video traveling eastbound,” police said. “Gau appears to attempt to hurry across the street, while the GMC maintains speed and does not swerve to avoid Gau nor does it appear there was any attempt to brake the vehicle, before the vehicle strikes Gau, propelling Gau into the air.”

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Gau was a retired priest who taught Latin and French from 1964 to 1983 while being rector and minister of Marquette University High School in Milwaukee. He was a member of the St. Camillus residential community for seniors, according to the Sentinel.

Schueffner, who was identified by local media outlets as a former Winona State University football player, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15, 2026.