Mineral Point, WI — A semi-truck driver was arrested Tuesday morning following a fatal hit-and-run crash involving a motorcycle, authorities reported.
Emergency personnel responded to a 911 call at approximately 6:08 a.m. concerning a collision at the intersection of State Highway 23 and the northbound US Highway 151 Exit 40 ramp. According to the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office, the semi-truck allegedly failed to yield while exiting US Highway 151 and struck a southbound motorcycle that had the right-of-way. The truck driver fled the scene heading northbound.
The motorcyclist, identified as 60-year-old Bartholomew L. Chabotte of Mineral Point, was riding a 1992 Harley-Davidson. First responders attempted lifesaving measures on-site before transporting him to Upland Hills Health, where he was later pronounced dead.
Investigating deputies obtained video footage from another semi-truck in the area, which provided crucial details regarding the offending vehicle. At approximately 11:45 a.m., a Detective Sergeant spotted a 2022 white Freightliner traveling southbound on US Highway 151 near Ridgeway.
Deputies conducted a traffic stop, identifying the driver as 49-year-old Ahmed Mustefa Deneto of Iowa City, Iowa. Deneto was arrested and booked into the Iowa County Jail on a felony charge of Hit and Run Involving Death.
Sheriff Michael Peterson thanked the responding emergency agencies and law enforcement for their cooperation and extended condolences to Chabotte’s family. The incident remains under investigation by the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the Iowa County District Attorney’s Office.