Trucker sentenced for accident that killed Poynette man
By Shannon Green
A Tennessee truck driver was convicted Monday of causing the crash that killed a rural Poynette man.
Michael Parrish, 49, of Memphis, was sentenced to jail Monday after he pleaded guilty to a charge of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle.
Columbia County Circuit Court Judge Alan White sentenced Parrish to six months in jail and five years of probation after Parrish pleaded guilty to homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. A charge of obstructing an officer was dismissed. Parrish also must contribute $250 each year to a memorial fund in honor of Gunderson.
Parrish was attempting to back his semi truck and trailer from Highway 51 onto Maas Road on Dec. 27, 2006, when a vehicle driven by rural Poynette resident Buell Gunderson, 82, struck the trailer and slid beneath it, killing Gunderson.
Gunderson's grandson, Derrick Sherer, then 22, a passenger in the car, sustained minor injuries. They were coming home from a Wisconsin Badgers basketball game when the crash occurred.
About 16 members of Gunderson's family sat in the courtroom as Parrish was sentenced, including Gunderson's son, Alan Gunderson, who described his father as a "kind, gentle man who never sought the spotlight."
"We feel that Mr. Parrish should never be allowed to drive professionally again," he said.
Parrish stood and apologized emotionally to the family of Buell Gunderson.
"There's no way I can express the deep sorrow I have for your loss," he said. "I just beg for your forgiveness."
An officer who investigated the scene said the way the tractor was facing would have created the illusion of a truck driving in the correct lane and the trailer's taillights could have been interpreted as those from another car approaching the highway on Maas Road.
Parrish initially told authorities he was turning off Maas Road to head south on Highway 51 toward Tennessee, but later changed his story to say he was backing onto Maas Road to make a phone call.
White gave permission for Parrish to serve his sentence in his home state of Tennessee. He is immediately eligible for work release. After three months, he is eligible for electronic monitoring. White also ordered a 12-month revocation of Parrish's driver's license.
"I hope that healing can begin after you leave today," White said to Gunderson's family before announcing Parrish's sentence. "Nothing that I do... is going to bring your loved one back."
"I hope healing can begin on both sides," he said.
Gunderson formerly served on the Columbia County Fair Board. He was a champion livestock exhibitor and a renowned livestock judge, and he was for 21 years the secretary/treasurer of the Wisconsin Pork Producers group.
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