Brown Enters Not Guilty Plea in Hit-and-Run Incident

The 54-year-old Port Washington man charged in a hit-and-run incident entered a not guilty plea in court on Wednesday.

Kevin P. Brown, 556 W. Chestnut St., remains in custody since being charged with the incident pending a $75,000 bail. His attorney, James Martz, has requested the court reconsider his bail situation; that hearing has been set for 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

According to the criminal complaint, Brown had been on his way to work in Sheboygan when he struck Kopacz, who was walking on County Highway KK (Moore Road) near North Spring Street and the railroad tracks in the Town of Port Washington. Realizing he had hit a person, he pulled his vehicle over — but then left the scene in a panic. Family later urged him to turn himself in, and he did.

Brown was arrested about 2 p.m. that day. During the arrest, officers detected a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. A preliminary breath test showed a 0.17 blood alcohol content. A blood test was also taken and sent to the State Laboratory of Hygiene for testing.

Kopacz sustained head, leg and arm injuries and was transported by ambulance to St. Mary’s Ozaukee Hospital and then transferred to Froedtert Memorial Hospital in Wauwautosa by Flight for Life. As of 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, hospital officials had no records of Kopacz as a continuing patient, however they could offer no further information about her condition.

Brown is charged with two felony counts: hit-and-run causing bodily injury and injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle. If convicted, he could face up to 27 1/2 years in prison and/or a $75,000 fine.