Driver Accused of Leaving Grandpa, 87, to Die After Hit-and-Run, Hiding Car in Woods

An 87-year-old Wisconsin man had just finished mowing his church’s lawn when his life was cut short in a hit-and-run that authorities say was followed by a deliberate cover-up.

Matthew Brennecke, 50, is charged with hit-and-run involving death in the July 2025 killing of Allan Eighmy, according to Waukesha County court records reviewed by Law & Crime.

Eighmy was still seated on his Kubota tractor near Allen Road and Orchard Circle in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, on July 14, 2025, when a black Volvo XC90 struck him, WTMJ reported.

Authorities say Brennecke didn’t stop to help Eighmy — instead, he allegedly drove off, destroyed his cellphone and hid the damaged SUV, leaving Eighmy on the roadside. Eighmy was rushed to a hospital but suffered two strokes and died two days later, as reported by WISN.

Waukesha County Court Commissioner David Herring described the extent of the vehicle’s damage during a court appearance, noting the wreck had “damage so substantial that there were parts all over the road,” according to Fox6.

The outlet also noted that Prosecutor J.J. Crawford said Brennecke went as far as “covering that car with a camouflage tarp, as well as putting branches all over it, to blend in with the scenery and woods.”

Police asked the public for help identifying the vehicle three days after the crash and arrested Brennecke that same day. He reportedly admitted to “clipping the tractor” but said he panicked and fled out of fear.

He faces up to 25 years in prison at sentencing next week, after requesting to be sentenced early during a bail hearing, a move that reportedly caught Eighmy’s family off guard, as per WTMJ.

Eighmy’s obituary remembers him as a man with “a one-of-a-kind ability to make a connection with everyone he saw.”