Man drove into family out on walk, killing mom and dog, as an act of revenge for his child, prosecutor says

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV/Gray News) – A man in Wisconsin is accused of purposefully hitting a family with his vehicle while they were out on a walk, killing the mother and the family dog.

A criminal complaint released Monday alleges Jeffrey Endres, 49, sped up and crashed into the family in Cottage Grove, a suburb of Madison.

Dr. Kami Hansen, a well-known chiropractor in the community, died from her injuries after being taken to the hospital.

Hansen was a wife, mother of three boys, and owner of Heartland Family Chiropractic.

Deputy District Attorney William Brown said the deadly crash was an act of revenge following a “sensitive crime” that occurred between Hansen’s child and Endres’ child. Officials did not give further details about what happened between the children.

“It has come to light that this was not an accident. This was an intentional act by Mr. Endres,” Brown said in court. “This was, as the complaint shows, essentially an act of vigilante justice.”

The criminal complaint reveals that Endres and Hansen’s family were neighbors and friends until recently.

Hansen was on a walk with her husband, one of their sons, and their dog on April 28 when Endres crashed into them around 6:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of Landmark Drive.

The criminal complaint reported Hansen was thrown about 25 to 30 feet from where she was hit. A detective also noted that the family was thrown from their shoes during the impact of the crash.

Hansen and the family dog, a black pit bull, were both killed.

Hansen’s husband only had cuts and scratches on his leg. Their son needed surgery after suffering a concussion and wounds across his body, but he is recovering.

Hansen’s husband told officers he heard the vehicle “flooring it” in their direction before it drove over a curb, straight into his family.

Multiple witnesses also verified that they saw the car speed up before hitting the family, the complaint said.

An Uber driver reported seeing Endres’ vehicle speeding behind him, and he told investigators he was worried it would crash into him. Instead, he said he saw the suspect’s vehicle “jerk” and drive directly onto the sidewalk.

“If he’s telling you he veered off the roadway, then he’s lying to you,” the witness recounted. “I saw that vehicle jerk.”

The complaint said Endres stayed on scene after the crash, standing nearby. He allegedly told officers that he was “having a bad day” and said he had “no comment” about the crash. He told responding officers he lost control of his vehicle while driving to the gas station, the complaint said.

According to the criminal complaint, Hansen’s husband told police that allegations of a sensitive crime between his child and Endres’ child were brought forward in late March.

A Cottage Grove Police Department school resource officer investigated the alleged incident in March, and a juvenile court proceeding was held on March 28.

The complaint stated that Endres filed an open records request on April 23 for police reports related to the alleged incident between the two children.

A redacted set of police reports was forwarded to Endres less than three hours before the deadly crash on April 28, the document confirmed.

Endres is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, and mistreatment of animals causing death.

The homicide charge was upgraded after it was originally noted he would face a reckless homicide charge.

Bond was set at $1 million on Monday for Endres, who appeared in Dane County court for an initial appearance.

If Endres posts his $1 million bond, he would not be allowed to have with any member of the Hansen family and would be restricted from being anywhere within the Village of Cottage Grove. He would also be ordered not to drive a vehicle or consume alcohol.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 14.

If convicted on the intentional homicide charge, Endres faces up to life in prison without the possibility of extended supervision.

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