Man Charged With the Death of a Woman in Taylor County Pleads Not Guilty

Tuesday, February 27th, 2024 -- 2:01 PM

(Karren Madden, Marshfield News Herald) An 18-year-old man charged in a September crash that killed a 26-year-old woman pleaded not guilty Monday in Taylor County Circuit Court.

According to Karren Madden with the Marshfield News Herald, Blain J. Lain, of Medford, waved his right to a preliminary hearing on the charges of homicide by negligent operation of a motor vehicle, knowingly operating a vehicle without a valid license causing death, knowingly operating a motor vehicle without a valid license causing great bodily harm, homicide by driving a vehicle while using a controlled substance and causing injury by operating a motor vehicle while using a controlled substance.

A preliminary hearing is when prosecutors must present enough evidence to show a crime probably happened and the defendant probably did it. Lain entered not guilty pleas to all five charges.

Taylor County Circuit Judge Ann Knox-Bauer set a pretrial conference with the Taylor County District Attorney for March 28 and the next court appearance for April 11.

According to the criminal complaint, at 2:54 p.m. Sept. 26, a caller reported a one-vehicle rollover on Oriole Drive, north of Taylor County O, in the town of Medford. When the first officer arrived on scene he found debris from the crash spread out over more than 100 yards.

A woman was lying in the road and appeared to be dead. Lain was lying near her and had life-threatening injuries, according to the complaint. A witness pointed out another man from the crash who was lying in a nearby field.

The officer went over to the man, who identified himself, but said he didn't remember being in a crash, according to the complaint. The officer thought the man had signs of being paralyzed and told him not to move.

The officer went back to the woman and man lying in the road, who were being looked at by emergency medical services. He was able to talk to Lain, who said he "hit water." Lain told the officer he had been driving the minivan when it crashed.

A witness, who had called the crash in, told the officer he had been working in his garage when he heard a vehicle coming at what sounded like a high rate of speed, judging by the sound the minivan made going over a bridge.

The man said he looked out to the road and saw the vehicle in the ditch, then flying through the air rotating, according to the complaint. Lain and the other man both were transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital. The man in Lain's vehicle was paralyzed, according to the complaint.

The woman in his vehicle, Breanne E. Flint, 26, died at the scene. Officers found three cellphones at the scene of the crash, one of them belonging to Flint. Flint's phone had an app on it that allowed family and friends to locate her and alerted her to dangerous situations.

The phone indicated that a dangerous speed of 112 mph had been detected, according to the complaint. Officers also found a vape pen in the pocket of Lain's jacket. Lain had protested when emergency personnel were trying to take the jacket off, according to the complaint.

The pen tested positive for THC. Lain currently is being held in jail pending a $5,000 cash bail Knox-Bauer set Feb. 20.

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