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Mount Prospect man charged in fatal Wisconsin vehicle accident

A Mount Prospect resident has been charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle after a fatal crash in Wisconsin, authorities said.

Eric Labahn, 21, was in Three Lakes, Wisconsin, around 2 a.m. June 10 when he was involved in a single-vehicle accident resulting in the death of 23-year-old McHenry resident Austin Lockwood, according to the criminal complaint.

Lockwood was a passenger in the vehicle.

A former Hersey High School student, Labahn told authorities the crash resulted from his swerving to avoid a deer, according to the complaint, which also said that Labahn "hit the tree with such force that it crushed the entire dash and door onto Lockwood."

The Three Lakes police officer who responded to the 911 call found Lockwood dead at the scene. Labahn, who was injured, was transported to Eagle River Hospital in Oneida County where he refused a blood test. After a search warrant was obtained, Labahn's blood was tested and he was arrested.

Labahn appeared in court June 13. His next court date is July 9, according to the Oneida County District Attorney's office. If convicted, he faces a fine of up to $100,000, up to 25 years in prison, or both.

Labahn was released from custody on a $10,000 surety bond, according to the Oneida County District Attorney's office.