A St. Paul man has been given a nine-year prison sentence for driving drunk and striking a bicyclist and another woman during an altercation with a motorist following a fireworks show last year in downtown Hudson, Wis. Thaddeus John Smith, 35, was sentenced Monday in St. Croix County Circuit Court to nine years in prison, followed by 10 years of extended supervision, in connection with the incident at the Lakefront Park boat launch on July 2, 2023. Smith pleaded guilty in April to first-degree reckless injury and injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle. The sentence handed down by Judge Scott Needham was one year shy of the prison time sought by the prosecution. Smith’s attorney, Shirlene Perrin, asked the judge for jail time and probation; she did not return a Tuesday call seeking comment on the sentence. Barbara Espy, 62, of Hudson, was on her bike in the boat launch parking lot when Smith struck her, dragging her several feet and causing a number of critical injuries. They included a traumatic brain injury, broken pelvis, fractured vertebrae, fractured hip, lacerated liver and severely damaged ankle that nearly required amputation. The crash left her at St. Paul’s Regions Hospital for 40 days and at Prescott Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for another month. The other victim, Chelsea Yorek, 38, also of Hudson, was hospitalized after Smith ran over her foot and ankle. According to the charges, Smith, his female partner and two children, ages 6 and 1, went to the St. Croix River waterfront for fireworks. Smith and his partner shared drinks with friends, and then got into their 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee sport-utility vehicle to drive home. While waiting in line to leave the Hudson dike, Smith’s SUV came into contact with a 2022 Kia Sorento SUV driven by Travis Lee Heffron, 38, of Hudson. It is not clear which vehicle was at fault, but witnesses say neither vehicle appeared damaged. Witnesses saw Heffron exit his vehicle to instigate a fight with Smith, who remained in his vehicle. Heffron yelled at Smith and allegedly called him homophobic slurs, according to a police report. Heffron then returned to his vehicle and backed it into Smith’s vehicle, at which point both men exited their vehicles and began arguing. Yorek got out of Heffron’s SUV and began recording their interaction. It is unclear what happened first, but when police arrived at the scene, they discovered that Heffron had injured his hand by punching out a window of Smith’s vehicle, Yorek’s foot and ankle had been run over and Espy was struck. Related Articles Crime & Public Safety | Wisconsin man sentenced for role in St. Paul man’s dismemberment Crime & Public Safety | Ex-cop who killed Daunte Wright shares story with other officers, sparking debate over redemption Crime & Public Safety | Minnesota man arrested after allegedly threatening to ‘shoot up’ synagogue Crime & Public Safety | Circumstantial evidence at issue as Nicholas Firkus murder conviction goes to appeal Crime & Public Safety | Minneapolis, St. Paul police deploy extra patrols for Jewish holy days in October Police also reported that Heffron and Yorek smelled of alcohol. Smith was arrested on the ramp to westbound Interstate 94 after ignoring several stoplights and traffic control officers. In an interview with the Pioneer Press in December, Espy said she wakes up every day feeling grateful to be alive. She said the police officers, firefighters and EMS workers saved her life that night, and have helped give her strength during her recovery. “All of these people saved my life and continue to save my life,” she said. “There isn’t enough gratitude, there isn’t a word to describe the genuine care and concern for my well being from the police department and the first responders.”