Man sentenced to 5 years for Burlington hit-and-run that injured We Energies flagger

RACINE COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A man convicted in a Racine County hit-and-run that injured a We Energies flagger was sentenced Tuesday, July 9. 

Bob Slominski pleaded guilty to a charge of hit-and-run involving great bodily harm and was sentenced to five years in prison followed by four years of extended supervision. 

According to a criminal complaint, Slominski struck a We Energies flagger working in the town of Burlington and fled the scene. 

Deputies responded and found Karlee Rybarczyk lying in the middle of the road. Flight for Life was called, and Rybarczyk was taken to Froedtert Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. 

The complaint said Slominski told officers he was heading to an AODA class when he sneezed, dropped his phone, and was trying to find it. He said when he found the phone, he saw the We Energies worker holding a stop sign in the road, but it was too late to stop. The complaint says he admitted to striking Rybarczyk and said he panicked and took off. 

At the time of the hit-and-run, Slominski had a pending court case after being charged with operating while intoxicated - his third offense in a separate incident. He pleaded guilty to that charge in October. 2023.