Deputies look for leads in hit and run death

Titus Kottke, 27, Athens was struck in town of Holway early Sunday

At about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 31, 27-year-old Titus Kottke of Athens was seen walking along a road in the town of Holway.

At 6:08 a.m., the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office responded to the report of a person laying in the roadway unresponsive in a large pool of blood near the intersection of Elm Ave. and Hamm Dr., about a mile from where Kottke had been seen walking less than three hours before.

Fire, ambulance and law enforcement services were dispatched to the scene. CPR was performed by medical first responders, but Kottke was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.

Kottke was identified by Taylor County sheriff Larry Woebbeking on Tuesday. He said that investigators know that Kottke had been at several bars in the Medford area on the night of Saturday, Oct. 30 and into the early morning hours of Sunday, Oct. 31.

According to Woebbeking, an autopsy has been completed and Kottke’s injuries are consistent with that of being struck by a vehicle. Woebbeking said they suspect that someone unintentionally hit Kottke while he was walking along the road and are calling for that individual or those in the community with information about the incident to come forward to law enforcement.

The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the death and asks people to call 715-748-2200 if you have any information about Kottke or the vehicle that may have struck him.