Leader Staff
A Shawano man pleaded no contest Wednesday to charges stemming from a hit-and-run in the city last year that injured another driver.
Thomas J. Anker, 45, pleaded to felony counts of sixth offense operating while intoxicated, OWI causing injury and hit-and-run causing injury, as well as a misdemeanor count of operating after revocation.
Under the plea agreement, the state said it would cap its sentencing recommendation at three years in prison.
Two other felony counts of operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration and causing injury while operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration were dropped under the agreement.
The crash happened Nov. 10, 2012, just before 12:30 p.m. near McDonald’s when a vehicle headed eastbound on Green Bay Street was struck by a Volkswagen at Woodlawn Drive.
A witness told police that the driver of the Volkswagen — later identified as Anker, according to the criminal complaint — appeared to have a head injury but fled the scene on foot. Other witnesses reported seeing Anker running into the woods.
The other driver — Peter L. Rodgers, 71 — sustained a leg injury and was treated at Shawano Medical Center, the complaint states.
Anker was located a short time later near Walmart. According to the complaint, he had numerous cuts to his head and a bloody shirt and smelled of alcohol.
Anker told police he had not been in an accident and had not been driving. However, the key to the Volkswagen was found in his pocket, according to the complaint.
Anker is scheduled for sentencing Feb. 11 after a pre-sentence investigation is completed.
According to the criminal complaint, Anker has four previous OWI convictions in Shawano County and one in Brown County.
After his fifth conviction in March 2010, Anker was sentenced by Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge James Habeck to a year in jail as a condition of three years probation.