Madison police have found a possible lead in the case involving a ""dark-colored minivan"" that reportedly struck an MATC student on the corner of South Park Regent streets, eventually leading to the student's death.
A police report details that on March 10 at 2:18 a.m., a van hit the victim, Lucas R. Peerenboom, 20, and then continued southbound down Park Street.
Peerenboom was hospitalized and pieces of glass were found embedded within his jacket, leaving police to suspect the van's windshield was cracked or shattered in the incident.
According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Michael Lester, the owner of an auto store on Catalpa Road, heard the story on the news, grew suspicious and contacted police.
He had serviced a dark-colored 1999 Ford Windstar van on March 14 for a new windshield. The van's owner said he had hit a deer on the Beltline. However, when repairing the windshield, Lester found no deer fur in the winshield area like it typically would be after an accident. Instead, the vehicle showed damage to its front end.
Police conducted an investigation, but found no reported deer carcasses on the Beltline stretch near the date the van owner said he had hit one.
Police have located the vehicle but have not arrested its owner. Police reported Peerenboom passed away March 31, succumbing to his injuries from the strike.
