Jason Zehe was criminally charged with homicide in Waukesha County Circuit Court on Jan. 3. for allegedly blowing through a stop sign while intoxicated, killing Waukesha West high honors student and cheerleader Megan Voss.
Zehe’s words were slurred, and he seemed confused, according to the complaint, which says he registered a .238 BAC. “I am the one driving, and yeah, I should get charged” for “smashing into another f*ckng person,” the complaint accuses him of saying.
Voss was only 17.
A GoFundMe page set up to help Voss’s family says: “Megan was a wonderful and beautiful young woman who touched the lives of those around her. If you ever met Megan then you know she had the biggest smile ever! She was a light to all who knew her. Megan was a 4.0 high honors senior at Waukesha West, on the cheerleading team and had a scholarship to a private Christian college in Arizona where she planned to pursue a nursing degree in hopes to become a doctor one day. She had strong Christian beliefs and values and we are comforted knowing that she is in the presence of the Savior.”
According to court records, Jason J. Zehe, 19, of West Allis, was charged with the following:
Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle, a felony
2nd Degree Reckless Homicide, a felony
Cause Injury/Operate While Under the Influence, a misdemeanor
2nd Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, a felony
Possession of THC
The criminal complaint says that Zehe’s girlfriend was also injured in the crash and that a crying, bloodied Zehe told police, “All of the sudden, I don’t know, I don’t know what happened,” adding, “I am not some f*cking drunkard all the time. I-I-crashed.”
Another person described Zehe driving “very fast” while flashing his brights as he “flew” into the intersection through a stop sign, where he crashed into Voss’s vehicle, the court documents say. He’s accused of blowing through the stop sign while driving 40 to 50 miles per hour.
Zehe gave contradictory accounts of whether he drank alcohol but stated at one point, “I just wish I wasn’t drunk,” the complaint says.
Megan Voss Was a ‘Strong Believer in Christ’ Who Will Be ‘Remembered for Her Beautiful Smile, Unwavering Faith, Exceptional Intelligence & Boundless Kindness’
Voss’s obituary says she was involved in the Random Acts of Kindness Club, National Honor Society, a Bible Study Club and more.
“Megan E. Voss, age 17, of Waukesha, passed away unexpectedly on December 30, 2024, due to injuries sustained in a tragic accident with her beloved dog, Bleu by her side. She was born in West Allis on May 11, 2007 the daughter of Troy Voss and Julie (Miksch) Voss. Megan excelled academically as a senior at Waukesha West High School, achieving a 4.0 GPA with High Honors and AP courses,” the obituary reads.
“She was known for her bright intelligence and active participation in various school activities, including the National Honor Society, Random Acts of Kindness Club, Bible Study Club, cheerleading, and playing the viola. Megan was proud to receive a scholarship to Grand Canyon University in Arizona, where she intended to pursue a degree in nursing with aspirations of becoming a doctor. Additionally, she worked as a hostess at Michael’s Restaurant in Waukesha before transitioning to ChiroMed as part of Waukesha West’s Co-op program,” the obituary says.
“A strong believer in Christ, Megan recently attended Lakewood Baptist Church in Pewaukee. She was a loving daughter and sister, deeply cherished by her family and friends. Megan will be remembered for her beautiful smile, unwavering faith, exceptional intelligence, and boundless kindness,” it adds.
Previous OWI Citation Against Jason Zehe & Why It Was Dismissed
Jason Zehe was previously accused in April of OWI in Waukesha County but the citation was dismissed after prosecutor Jack Rieder told the court that he did not believe he could prove the case due to Wisconsin laws that make it legal to drive drunk on private property in some cases.
This is a separate and earlier case from the incident that resulted in Voss’s death.
The prosecutor’s motion says that, at the time, Jason Zehe was 18 and “has no prior criminal record. The defendant has one prior traffic offense with a date of violation of November 6, 2022.”
The defense attorney Finn had provided the state “with numerous affidavits as well as photographs of the crash scene immediately following the collision on April 5, 2024.”
The evidence provided by the defendant “leads the state to believe the defendant did not operate his motor vehicle on a ‘highway’ as defined by Wis. Stat. 340.01 (22). Instead, there is plausible evidence supporting that the defendant only operated his vehicle on private property prior to and during the incident in question,” Rieder wrote in the motion.
“The state is required to establish the defendant operated his motor vehicle on a ‘highway’ in order to prove the underlying offense,” the motion reads. “Given all of the circumstances, it is the position of the State of Wisconsin that there is a significant likelihood that a jury will not convict the defendant. Further, given all of the circumstances, dismissal of the charge will not diminish the seriousness of the offense. Additionally, the State respectfully asserts that the defendant does not appear to pose an ongoing danger to the community, and the community will not be harmed by the dismissal of the pending charges,” the state’s motion continues.
The defense motion alleged that Zehe was “on private property owned by his girlfriend’s parents” in Eagle and “any alcohol he consumed was while he was at the private residence and he had no intention to leave that private residence.”
The defense attorney also said Zehe was turning his car around to check for a noise he heard when he hit a stone pillar and the neighbor called police.
As a point of bio, documents previously submitted to the Wisconsin Election Commission alleged Zehe was a Robin Vos recall petition circulator. According to CCAP, he previously lived in New Berlin.
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