× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

Police say a 21-year-old man who was killed Thursday morning in Lake Delton was drunk and lying in the roadway when he was struck by a passing motorist.

The driver of the vehicle faces a homicide charge for being drunk and behind the wheel.

Friends of Wisconsin Dells resident Michael Weatherford told investigators that he was celebrating his 21st birthday and was “extremely intoxicated” when he stumbled into the roadway early that morning.

The friend said he tried pulling Weatherford off the road, but could not. Instead, he began flagging cars to go around his friend. He said the first two cars to pass heeded his signal and went around Weatherford, but a third vehicle, driven by Rigoberto A. Ernantes, did not.

According to a criminal complaint, when police arrived at the scene at about 4:40 a.m., they found two men standing over Weatherford and Ernantes allegedly said, “I can’t believe I hit him.”