MADISON (WKOW) — A 36-year-old man was sentenced to eight years in prison for a deadly OWI crash that occurred in December 2024.
Nicholas Nesthus, of Poynette, received the sentence on Monday in Dane County Court, along with six years of extended supervision. He is required to maintain absolute sobriety throughout his sentence and is prohibited from being in establishments primarily selling alcohol. Nesthus must also refrain from possessing illegal substances without a valid prescription.
Nesthus’s driver’s license is suspended for five years, and he cannot operate a vehicle without a valid license and prior agent approval.
According to the criminal complaint, Nesthus ran a red light while driving north on Stoughton Road, colliding with a vehicle that had the right of way. This impact caused another vehicle to be struck.
Authorities confirmed that Mathew Jopke, 37, of Lodi, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
Investigators discovered an empty whiskey bottle behind the driver’s seat of Nesthus’s vehicle, and he admitted to consuming alcohol at a bar where he was employed prior to the incident.
As part of a plea agreement, Nesthus pleaded guilty to homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle in July 2025, with two other pending felonies dismissed.