Motorist surrenders to police in hit-and-run death of tow truck driver along Wisconsin interstate

Wisconsin police have charged a suspect in connection to a crash that claimed the life of a tow truck driver on Christmas Eve.

On December 26, 39 year old Wisconsin resident Christopher Sponholz was charged with Hit & Run Causing Death, a Class D felony. He was issued a $750,000 cash bond.

The charge was issued in connection with the death of 40 year old tow truck driver Hussain Farhat, an employee of Yaffo Towing out of Chicago, Illinois, according to the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department (WCSO).

Shortly before 7 p.m. on December 24, Farhat was loading a disabled vehicle on eastbound shoulder of I-94 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, when he was struck by a blue minivan that fled the scene.

According to Fox 6, a witness told police that the minivan was traveling at speeds of 80 to 90 m.p.h.

Farhat was transported to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival.

On December 25, WCSO received an anonymous tip about the suspect vehicle possibly being located at a residence in Wales, Wisconsin. Police developed Sponholz as a suspect based on this tip.

Sponholz turned himself into the WCSO, and his minivan was recovered by police at his residence.

According to the criminal complaint, Sponholz told a friend that he believed he had hit a deer.

Following the fatal crash, a large number of tow truck drivers came together on Christmas night for a vigil in honor of Farhat.