Prosecutors charge motorist with negligence in death of cyclist

A Kenosha teenager was charged Monday morning with negligent homicide a bicyclist was struck early Sunday morning on County Highway H in the Village of Pleasant Prairie.

Friends reported the victim, Devin Kunich, 22, was biking home from his job at the Bristol Renaissance Fair when he was hit about 12:30 a.m. He is the fifth cyclist struck and killed by a motor vehicle in Wisconsin since July 1.

No charges have been filed in the earlier crashes, but prosecutors in Kenosha County moved quickly to issue a felony charge against the driver involved in Kunich's death.

Quashae D. Taylor, 18, faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $25,000, if convicted.

According to the criminal complaint:

Taylor said she was driving home after visiting her brother in Illinois after midnight Sunday. She said that she could not see very well because of the fog and was driving about 35 mph.

Taylor said she closed her eyes for a second, which she described as a "long blink," when she heard something hit her car and her roof. Taylor said she opened her eyes and saw that her windshield was smashed in. She began to brake, thinking she hit a deer but could not see anything. She continued to drive north on County Highway H until she reached its intersection with Wisconsin Highway 165 and called for help.

According to Taylor's cellphone call log, she received three calls from her boyfriend. The last call came at 12:45 a.m. Taylor said she remembered someone saying "Hello" at the same time she closed her eyes.

A separate report came in about a body found on County Highway H. The body was identified as Devin J. Kunich, who was dead. A heavily damaged bike was found nearby, and had three white reflectors in the front wheel spokes and two yellow reflectors on each pedal. No other lights or reflectors were found.

An officer also found a backpack, a pair of shoes, a bicycle seat, a pair of boots, a 35 mile-per-hour speed limit sign and an MP3 player with headphones.

It appears that Kunich was riding his bicycle north when he was struck from behind by the vehicle. The area of the accident does not have streetlights.

Taylor also said she is legally blind in her left eye and suffers from cerebral palsy. She was not wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses, although she is supposed to for driving. Taylor said she lost her glasses. Taylor said she did not have anything to drink nor did she take any drugs except for Ibuprofen.

She submitted to blood-alcohol tests and the results have not been released.