Woman guilty in death of man who fell from moving pickup in northwest Wisconsin

A northwestern Wisconsin woman was found guilty of leaving behind a friend who fell from atop her moving pickup truck and died.

Tara L. Appleton, 33, of Webster pleaded no contest in Burnett County Circuit Court last week in the death of Preston Decorah, 27, also of Webster, who was riding on the vehicle in the Hertel area, fell and hours later was found unconscious in a driveway about 9:15 a.m. on March 30, 2020.

Decorah died later at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

Appleton's plea led to Circuit Judge Melissia Mogen finding her guilty of second-degree reckless homicide and hit-and-run involving death, while dismissing counts of first-degree reckless homicide and homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 19, with no agreement on the terms. In the meantime, Appleton remains free on bond.

According to the charges:

Appleton told a sheriff's deputy that she drove with a friend to a home between Siren and Spooner, where she and others were drinking at a party. She stayed for about three hours before heading toward Siren with Decorah and another friend.

Appleton approached a stop sign, and "Preston must have crawled out the window as she was slowing, and he got on top of the truck," the criminal complaint read.

She resumed driving and saw Decorah slide down the front of the truck and fall to the ground. With help, Appleton got Decorah back in the truck and returned to where they had gathered earlier. Decorah collapsed in the driveway. As Appleton and the others were "trying to get him out of the truck ... he fell to the ground and was left where he was," alone and dying, the complaint read.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482