In a harrowing incident in Wisconsin, a man is accused of driving under the influence and crashing his vehicle into a ditch, subsequently abandoning the scene and leaving his elderly mother to perish in the passenger seat. Casey Yiannackopoulos, aged 47, faces serious charges including first-degree reckless homicide, hit-and-run resulting in death, and two counts of resisting or obstructing an officer.

The unsettling events unfolded on a Sunday evening around 7:15 p.m. in Muskego, a suburb of Milwaukee. Authorities responded to a single-vehicle accident on the S7100 block of Hillendale Drive. Upon arrival, they discovered a 77-year-old woman, unconscious but still breathing, trapped in the front passenger seat. She was the sole occupant of the vehicle as the driver, Yiannackopoulos, had fled the scene. Emergency responders had to break through the car’s windows to extricate her and promptly transport her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead approximately an hour later. Her identity remains undisclosed to the public.

According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, multiple eyewitnesses reported observing Yiannackopoulos fleeing the scene. They described him as appearing intoxicated, noting his unsteady gait and the strong odor of alcohol. Despite informing bystanders that he intended to seek help, he failed to return, police stated.

Further evidence from home surveillance footage purportedly captures Yiannackopoulos driving at speeds of at least 50 mph in a 30 mph zone before veering off the road, ultimately leading to the crash. This footage, combined with witness testimonies, paints a grim picture of the events that led to this tragic loss.

Home surveillance video captured the crash. It allegedly showed Yiannackopoulos driving at least 50 mph in a 30 mph zone before he left the road and crashed.

Cops learned that Yiannackopoulos” mother lived down the street from where the accident occurred. When they went inside they saw a ladder leading to a crawl space with the plywood door slightly ajar. Yiannackopoulos allegedly refused to come down and yelled and cursed at the officers. Around 10:45 p.m. cops sent a drone up to the crawl space. They saw Yiannackopoulos hiding under some blankets and a plastic bin cover.

He eventually had to be physically removed and taken into custody, the affidavit said. Cops said he had bloodshot and glassy eyes. Yiannackopoulos allegedly said “it was an accident” and he would have been “way more cooperative” if he knew at the scene that his mother was dead, according to the complaint. Hospital staff drew his blood and the results are pending, cops said.

Court Commissioner Daniel Rieck seemed flabbergasted at Yiannackopoulos’ alleged actions.

“As I read through your criminal complaint, sir, quite frankly, the word that came to mind over and over was depraved,” Rieck said, according to a courtroom report from local ABC affiliate WISN. “This went from driving while drunk, having what one would presume is a very unfortunate, traumatic accident, losing your mother, but then quite literally leaving her to die. Why? Because you didn’t want to get in trouble.”

Yiannackopoulos remains in the Waukesha County Jail on a $750,000 bond. His next court date is scheduled for Thursday.