Inset: A photo of Hussein Farhat is shown at a memorial for him in December 2024 (WBBM-TV/YouTube). Background: Christopher Sponholz appears in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, court in December 2024 (WISN/YouTube).
A man accused of running down and killing a tow truck driver who was doing his job on the shoulder of a busy Wisconsin highway has admitted fault.
Christopher Sponholz, 40, pleaded guilty to hit-and-run involving death on Thursday, according to Waukesha County court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
The defendant was subsequently sentenced to 7 years in prison — with credit for 421 days served — and 10 years of extended supervision.
Hussein Farhat, 40, died due to the crash that occurred on Dec. 24, 2024.
On that day, Christmas Eve, Farhat was loading a disabled vehicle onto his tow truck on I-94 in the area of Summit, Wisconsin, some 30 miles west of Milwaukee. Suddenly, a blue minivan going at least 80 mph struck Farhat, with a witness saying the van did not stop — instead continuing to drive at that speed until its driver got off at the next exit, according to area Fox affiliate WITI.
Authorities responded to the scene and took Farhat to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead 12 hours later, Milwaukee-based ABC affiliate WISN reported.
Sponholz was reportedly identified as the driver of the minivan the following day when someone recognized the vehicle from the hit-and-run in the village of Wales, Wisconsin, about six miles east of Summit. He is said to have told a friend he hit a deer the night of the crash.
The defendant then turned himself in to police.
Sponholz was repentant during his Thursday court hearing, saying, “I want to apologize and let you know how truly sorry I am. I apologize to him daily. I know there is nothing I can do to bring him back, and it hurts so much.”
Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge William Domina remained critical of Sponholz”s actions.
“People deserve to be treated as human beings,” he said, per WISN. “Not as garbage. Not discarded. Not dumped, in a ditch, and pushed to the side like a dead deer.”
Farhat left behind a wife and three young children.
His death ignited calls for people to respect tow truck drivers and slow down as they approach them, with roughly 100 tow trucks joining a memorial for the victim, according to footage from Chicago-based CBS affiliate WBBM-TV.
