Nearly four weeks after a fatal Highway 164 crash, the dump truck driver involved says the collision has upended his life. Kim Brown says he was cleared after 22-year-old Noah Bautch was killed, but recurring visions, sleep problems and anxiety have kept him away from work. The official investigation, however, remains publicly open.
Brown, a Milwaukee native who has driven dump trucks for about a decade, said he was traveling south on Highway 164 when he saw Bautch walking along the emergency lane, according to TMJ4 News. He said onboard video captured the collision and that several drivers stopped to provide witness accounts.
The official timeline is narrower but clear. In a July 6 news release, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office said deputies received reports of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash at about 2:07 p.m. near Lawnsdale Road in the Village of Waukesha. Bautch suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, while southbound Highway 164 was closed during the investigation.
Brown Says He Was Cleared, But Officials Haven’t Said Case Is Closed
Brown said he submitted to a blood draw and other testing, received no citations and was told he had been cleared. That remains his account; the sheriff’s office has not publicly confirmed that investigators formally cleared him, said whether the case is complete or explained what led Bautch into the roadway.
Brown believes Bautch intentionally entered the truck’s path, but officials have not confirmed that conclusion. An earlier Hoodline report documented the road closure and the sheriff’s ongoing investigation before Bautch’s identity and the truck driver’s account became public.
The Crash Followed Brown Home
Brown said he has recurring visions of the collision, trouble sleeping, appetite changes and anxiety about driving. He is seeing counselors, taking medication to sleep and remains off work while undergoing therapy, saying he does not yet feel fit to return to the driver’s seat.
His children created a fundraiser for Brown to help with counseling, living expenses and stability while he recovers. Brown said the lost income and frequent appointments have forced him to rely more heavily on family.
Both Families Are Carrying The Aftermath
Noah’s father, Patrick Bautch, has said the family does not blame Brown and may eventually be willing to meet with him. In the same TMJ4 interview, Brown said he would be open to that conversation, adding that “we all lost.”
For now, two facts remain settled: Bautch died at the scene, and the sheriff’s office still lists the crash as under investigation. Brown’s account helps show what the collision has done to the driver, but it does not resolve the unanswered question of how Bautch entered the roadway.
