Background: Matthew Brennecke appears in Waukesha County court in Waukesha, Wis. (WISN/YouTube). Inset: Allan C. Eighmy (Pagenkopf Funeral Home).
An 87-year-old Wisconsin man was fresh off mowing his church's lawn when an SUV driver crashed into him and left him to die on the side of the road, authorities say.
Matthew Brennecke, 50, is charged with hit-and-run involving death, Waukesha County court records reviewed by Law&Crime show. He is alleged to have killed 87-year-old Allan Eighmy in July 2025.
The defendant has a plea and sentencing hearing scheduled for Monday after he asked during a bail hearing this week to be sentenced. This request apparently surprised those in the courtroom, including family members of the victim.
On July 14, 2025, Eighmy was mowing his church's lawn in the area of Allen Road and Orchard Circle in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, area NBC affiliate WTMJ reported. He finished, but as he sat on the Kubota tractor, he was hit by a black Volvo XC90.
The SUV was allegedly driven by Brennecke, and after the collision, the defendant is said to have driven on, smashed his cellphone, and tried to hide the damaged vehicle. Eighmy was left to die on the side of the road, authorities said, and although he was taken to a local hospital, he suffered two strokes and died two days later.
Waukesha County Court Commissioner David Herring said Brennecke's vehicle had "damage so substantial that there were parts all over the road," per regional Fox affiliate WITI. "Covering that car with a camouflage tarp, as well as putting branches all over it, to blend in with the scenery and woods," prosecutor J.J. Crawford added of the defendant's alleged actions.
Three days after the crash, authorities asked for the public's help finding Brennecke and the black Volvo. He was apparently arrested that day.
Brennecke apparently admitted to "clipping the tractor" but told investigators he did not stop because he was scared. He faces 25 years in prison when he is sentenced next week.
Eighmy left behind two daughters, siblings, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, according to his obituary. He "loved to talk to people and had a one-of-a-kind ability to make a connection with everyone he saw. He would often make people laugh with a joke or story that made him memorable to people everywhere he went," the tribute said.