Two Men Charged for Fatal Motorcycle Crash in Wood County

Monday, September 16th, 2024 -- 12:00 PM

(Mitchell Skurzewski, WAOW) Two men face criminal charges in a fatal car vs. motorcycle crash on Aug. 31 in Wood County.

According to Mitchell Skurzewski with WAOW, Rait Abdiu is accused of drunken driving and killing Miles Duerr, 28, when his car crossed the center line and struck Duerr who had been driving his motorcycle.

Duerr died at the scene and Trevor Paulson is charged with failing to help the victim or reporting a crime. Rait Abdiu, 25, is accused of  homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle while having prior intoxicant-related convictions, and two counts of felony bail jumping.

He could receive more than 50 years in prison and $120,000 in fines if convicted. Abdiu, of Wisconsin Rapids, appeared in Wood County court on Sept. 3 and is being held on a $2 million cash bond according to court records.

Trevor Paulson, 22, Stevens Point, meanwhile, faces more than a decade in prison and more than $20,000 in fines with two felony bail jumping charges as well as not helping a victim of a crime. A Wood County judge ordered he be given a $25,000 cash bond on Sept. 3, according to court records.

Both men are scheduled for preliminary hearings and arraignments on Thursday, Sept. 12.  Paulson also has a bond hearing scheduled that day. According to a criminal complaint at around 11:50 p.m. on Aug. 31, Wood County Dispatch received a call about a motor vehicle crash on South Biron Drive near Strawberry Lane in the village of Biron.

When an officer arrived, he saw another officer doing lifesaving measures on a motorcyclist involved in the crash, the complaint said. Another officer spoke with Paulson, who said he was drinking with Abdiu in downtown Wisconsin Rapids. Paulson said once they got to 'backroads' and his friend started driving erratically with speeds of 70-80 miles per hour.

Paulson said he was on his phone and when he looked up and saw a motorcycle headlight before things went black. He said when he came to he felt "foggy" and he exited the car and saw the damage to it and the motorcycle with fluid spilled all around.

He said he heard screaming and he thought it was his friend. An officer asked if he checked on the motorcycle driver but Paulson said when he saw the motorcycle and the fluid around it, it caused him to panic and didn't know what to do since he was out on bond.

Paulson said he ran into the woods, called his mom and told her "My friend just killed somebody." Paulson had video of the crash and played it for officers and it showed the Jetta crossing the centerline multiple times.

When the car crossed the small bridge north of Strawberry Lane you could see the motorcycle headlight going south and when the vehicles collided the video went black. Paulson's mother said her son did call her and asked to be picked up because he had been involved in a crash near State Highway 54.

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