On 2/23/2020 at 7:47 p.m., The Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a hit and run accident that occurred in the 300 block Godwit St in Curlew. According to the investigation into the accident, it was determined that a 2015 Cadillac Escalade, owned and driven by Gerald Leroy Schmidt, age 78 of West Bend, was backing from a private driveway when it made contact with an unattended parked 2007 Chrysler Pacifica owned by Tasha Leeann Igou, age 34 of Curlew. After making contact with the Igou vehicle, Schmidt left the scene of the property damage accident. The Igou vehicle sustained an estimated $2000.00 worth of damage and the Schmidt vehicle sustained an estimated $500.00 worth of damages.
As a result of the investigation, Schmidt was charged with striking an unattended vehicle (leaving the scene of a property damage accident), a non-scheduled violation and Igou was charged with prohibited parking in violation of Curlew City Ordinance 5.02(2).
A criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.