Eight-Time Drunk Driver Injures Student
WAUKESHA - Waukesha Police arrested Stuart Gasper, 47, on suspicion of his eighth drunken driving offense after he allegedly struck several parked cars and a Carroll University student before fleeing the scene.
"The poor student was crossing the street at the intersection of College and Grand Avenue," said Waukesha Police Capt. Mark Stigler. "He went flying through the air and landed in a snow bank."
"He thankfully suffered only non-life threatening injuries. He's pretty sore today, but fortunately didn't break any bones."
"I'm just really lucky to be alive," said David Hansen. The 21-year-old student is in a walking cast and crutches.
"I was surprised to be able to just walk," said Hansen. "You figure something flying at you 35- 40 mph in an SUV like that, you more or less put your chances at being dead or paralyzed."
After striking the student, police said Gasper took off at a high speed and crashed into a light pole. A witness recorded his SUV's license plate number and called police.
"Officers tracked the suspect down to his house a few blocks away and found the steaming vehicle with fresh damage on all sides and arrested the driver," Stigler explained.
Police referred Gasper to the Waukesha County District Attorney's Office and recommended felony charges of eighth-time operating while intoxicated, operating while intoxicated causing inure, hit and run causing injury, and hit and run causing property damage.
"The suspect was operating on a valid Wisconsin driver's license," Stigler said.
Hansen couldn't believe it. "How are you going to let someone with that many offenses drive legally on the road?"
Hansen said the suspect's long record makes him a bit angry. "The saying goes, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me," Fool me seven times, what’s going on?” Hansen said.
Gasper was convicted for his 5th 6th and 7th drunk driving in 2002 and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Since then he has a several traffic violations but no drunken driving arrests until Tuesday night.
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