4-1-14 fdl county sheriff's deputy reaches plea agreement in fatal traffic crash

A Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s deputy has been convicted of two traffic offenses in connection with  an August 2012 fatal crash.  At a hearing Monday afternoon in Fond du Lac County Circuit court Deputy Ryan Flood, pleaded guilty to speeding and no contest to failing to drive safely.  On August 24th, 2012 Flood was responding to a hit-and-run complaint when his squad car collided with a car driven by  20 year old Matthew Koenigs at County Trunks B and K in the town of Eden.  Flood did not have his emergency lights on and his siren was not activated.  Koenigs was pronounced dead at the scene.  Waukesha County District Attorney Brad Schimel was the special prosecutor for the case.  Schimel says in the end he and the family felt this was the best resolution to the case.  "We just ultimately reached a point where everyone walked away giving up something that was important to them, but everyone walked away getting the things that were most important to them," Schimel said.  Sarah Koenigs is the victim’s mother.  "When you lose a child there is no closure.  Closure will come on the day I am reunited with my son,"  Koenigs told WFDL news.  Before entering the pleas Flood gave his condolences and issued a tearful apology to Koenig’s family.  Flood says he "lives with the memory of the crash every day."   The victim’s family has also filed a $1.5 million civil lawsuit against the deputy.  A jury trialin the civil case is scheduled for January of next year.  Flood has agreed to pay around $14,000 in restitution and will help train others on Emergency Vehicle Operation and Control.