Christin M. Harding Obituary, Death – A 61-year-old woman was killed on Tuesday evening after being struck by an unlicensed driver in central Wisconsin, according to local authorities. The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies were dispatched to the scene of a hit-and-run crash involving an SUV and a bicyclist just before 5:15 p.m. on October 8. The incident occurred on Levee Road near North Hein Road in the township of Fairfield.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim, Christin M. Harding, a resident of Baraboo, was riding her bicycle when she was struck by the SUV. The impact threw her into a ditch, while the SUV continued driving eastward on Levee Road toward the Columbia County line. Another cyclist, who was with Harding at the time of the accident, immediately called emergency services and attempted CPR.
Deputies arrived at the scene on the south side of Levee Road and found paramedics already trying to save Harding’s life. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, Harding was pronounced dead at the scene.
Using witness descriptions and departmental resources, authorities were able to identify the suspect vehicle as a maroon 2003 Honda Pilot. With assistance from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle and its driver, 31-year-old Taurean M. Johnson-Puttnam, were located at around 6:45 p.m. on Tritz Road in Columbia County.
Johnson-Puttnam was arrested and taken into custody at the Sauk County Jail. He faces multiple charges, including hit-and-run involving death, homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle, operating without a valid license resulting in death, operating without insurance, and failure to report the accident to police.
As of this time, Johnson-Puttnam had not yet been formally charged in the Wisconsin Circuit Court system. The investigation into the incident is ongoing as authorities work to gather more details surrounding the crash.