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Background: News footage of Douglas Proehl in court on April 13 for his arraignment (WBAY). Inset: Chloe (left) and Dan Bishop (GoFundMe).
A Wisconsin man, facing charges of driving under the influence and causing a fatal accident, has entered a plea of not guilty. Douglas Proehl, aged 69, appeared in a Brown County court to answer to accusations related to a tragic incident in January that claimed the life of 17-year-old Chloe Bishop and left her father, Daniel Bishop, with serious injuries.
The charges against Proehl include homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, multiple counts of operating while intoxicated (OWI) causing injury, and homicide by use of a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration (PAC). His arraignment on these serious charges took place on Monday, several months after the devastating crash.
A report from a local Fox affiliate, WLUK, revealed that the amended criminal complaint details the events surrounding the crash in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. Upon arrival at the crash site, police officers noted an odor of alcohol on Proehl’s breath. He allegedly refused to take a sobriety test and was hostile towards law enforcement officers.
The updated complaint, filed on Monday, includes critical information regarding Proehl’s blood alcohol content (BAC). As per the police reports, his BAC was recorded at 0.115 on the night of January 30, significantly over the legal limit of 0.08. Proehl reportedly admitted to consuming two “regular tall beers” approximately an hour and a half before the accident. He claimed to have been dining at a restaurant with his wife, but appeared increasingly disoriented during his interaction with the police.
Subsequently, Proehl was taken to the Ashwaubenon Public Safety garage for field sobriety tests. Officers suspected intoxication, and during the testing process, Proehl reportedly became disruptive. According to the initial complaint, reviewed by Law&Crime, he expressed disregard for the proceedings with profane language and refused to complete a “one leg stand test.” Following his demand for legal counsel, Proehl was placed under arrest.
Before bringing Proehl to jail, police brought him to the hospital for evaluation. According to the complaint, Proehl allegedly complained about the vehicle he hit, saying, “They drove in front of me and I was like, you got to be kidding,” adding, “They didn’t leave me any time at that intersection.”
Police said Proehl “continued to utter that he just got the truck approximately two months ago,” telling an officer that he went all the way to California to buy it. According to the complaint, Proehl “seemed more concerned about how his truck was involved in an accident versus how the occupants from the other vehicle were doing.” Proehl was apparently “joking about his situation” and expressed concern about how much his phone call from jail was going to cost.
According to the complaint, the fatal collision was caught on surveillance cameras. The Toyota Corolla carrying the Bishops was seen waiting at a green light to make a left turn at an intersection. As the light turned yellow, other vehicles began slowing down.
Proehl’s truck was then allegedly captured “traveling at a noticeably higher rate of speed, approaching the intersection” before it sailed through a red light and struck Bishop’s vehicle. Police said they did not see Proehl’s brake lights until “just prior” to the collision. A witness corroborated to police that they saw Proehl’s truck run a red light.
Bishop, who broke several ribs in the crash that allegedly killed his daughter, told police that he never heard Proehl hit the brakes. He told police he saw the truck speeding toward him, but he was unable to get out of the way in time. According to the complaint, Bishop told police, “This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me, knowing I’ll never speak to my daughter again. I am not angry, just sad and depressed.”
According to online court records, Proehl was charged with OWI in 2022. The case remains open; Proehl was scheduled to appear in court on Monday in connection with that case.
During Proehl’s arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. A judge denied a request to reduce his bond from $500,000, and he remains in custody at the Brown County Jail. He is scheduled to appear in court for a status conference on July 20.
Family members of the Bishops have set up a GoFundMe to raise money for funeral expenses and medical bills.