Iowa County man entered plea for deadly 2023 OWI crash

A man criminally charged in a deadly OWI crash entered a plea agreement in Iowa County Court.  According to online court records, 55-year-old Thomas Naughtin of Stoughton pleaded guilty to homicide by use of a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration.  As part of the plea agreement with prosecutors, the court dismissed another charge of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. The Iowa County Sheriff’s Office reported Naughtin crossed the centerline of Highway 78 near Moscow on Dec. 5, 2023. He crashed into an oncoming car, killing 69-year-old Gary Gruenenfelder of Blanchardville. A criminal complaint stated Naughtin’s blood alcohol content was 0.41 about two and a half hours after the crash, more than five times the legal limit to drive. Law enforcement found a six pack of open beer bottles on the floor of his vehicle.  Court records show this is Naughtin’s sixth OWI-related conviction. Naughtin is scheduled to be sentenced in June.