Businessman Accused of Hitting Woman With Car Set for Trial

A Brookfield business owner accused of hurting a woman in a hit-and-run car accident will stand trial in June.

Thomas J. Rhoda, 65, pleaded not guilty in August to the criminal charge of hit-and-run involving great bodily harm stemming from the July 15 car accident. His trial date was set Wednesday for June 25.

Rhoda is listed as the owner of Thomas J. Rhoda & Associates, an accounting firm based in Brookfield. Rhoda is free on $1,000 bond while awaiting trial.

According to the criminal complaint:

Brookfield police officers were called to the roundabout at North Avenue and Barker Road at 7:39 p.m. July 15 after witnesses said a female pedestrian was struck by a Mercedes that kept driving east without stopping. The woman was found lying on the east side of the roundabout with injuries to her head, hips and face.

The woman told officers the last thing she remembered before being struck was that she was walking north toward her home while listening to an audio book on her iPhone.

Paramedics took her to an area hospital where she was treated for a fractured skull, broken pelvis and laceration to the head requiring staples to close.

Damaged pieces from the car were recovered from the scene. About 5½ hours later — at 1:15 a.m. July 16 — prominent Milwaukee defense attorney Gerald Boyle contacted Brookfield police to say Rhoda was the driver of the car and would turn himself in the morning with the car, a 2008 silver Mercedes 4-door with Arizona registration plates.

Rhoda did appear at the police station July 16 with the car, but said he didn’t want to answer questions without his lawyer present.