Courts
15 years in prison for driver in fatal Holmen collision
A Viroqua man, who caused a fatal highway crash in 2017, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday in La Crosse County court.
Police said Corey Bolstad took meth and heroin before slamming his pumping truck into the car of 65-year-old Rebecca Berndt near Holmen, killing the retired teacher.
District attorney Tim Gruenke said the family is relieved to have the court case done. In court Thursday, they asked for the maximum prison sentence of 31 years for vehicular homicide.
Rebecca Berndt’s husband, Bill Berndt, said in court that “each new day that comes is another reminder of that tragic senseless day. I try to be strong for my kids and grandkids, but the struggle is overwhelming and the mental fatigue is endless. Why, why, why?”
The 36-year-old Bolstad said, “I am truly sorry. All I can do is win this fight with addiction, redeem myself, and make sure this never happens again.”
Judge Elliott Levine told Bolstad that nobody else is culpable for the fatal crash, and that the Berndt family has made him feel as if Becky “was everybody’s mom.”
The 15-year term will be served after Bolstad finishes prison time for a previous conviction.