By Shereen Siewert
An Eagle River man who was on probation for a drug trafficking conviction when he was arrested for drunken driving was sentenced to prison during a sentencing hearing Monday in Wausau.
Police say 65-year-old Kurt A. Wilder was wanted on a felony probation warrant and was driving with a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.191 percent the night of Jan. 13, 2021 when he pulled his RV into a stranger’s town of Maine driveway. The homeowner called police to report the vehicle after becoming suspicious that the driver was intoxicated. According to the police report, the woman said the unfamiliar vehicle’s lights kept going on and off before the driver rolled away, missing the driveway.
Deputies located the RV at a nearby gas station and confronted the driver, identified as Wilder, who was allegedly confused and had difficulty getting out of the vehicle. Wilder allegedly shared conflicting information with deputies about where he had been and said he “didn’t know” why he pulled into a stranger’s driveway. Later, he allegedly said he was following another driver and it was “his bad,” according to the police report.
A check on his license showed he had an expired Colorado driver’s license and was on probation, but Wilder couldn’t remember why he was on probation, according to the incident report. Court records show Wilder was convicted in December 2020 in Vilas County Circuit Court of possession of narcotics with intent to deliver. Additional drug-related charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement and Wilder was given a withheld sentence and ordered to spend 30 months on probation.
The RV incident came just weeks later.
Wilder was taken to jail and charged with fifth-offense drunken driving, a felony. He pleased guilty to the charge Monday, Aug. 28, during a hearing in Marathon County Circuit Court.
Additionally, Wilder’s probation in Vilas County was revoked in February 2022 and he was sentenced to three years in prison followed by two years of probation.
During Monday’s hearing Circuit Judge Greg Strasser sentenced Wilder to a year and a half in prison followed by two years of extended supervision, according to online court records. The sentences in the two cases will run concurrently.
Wilder was granted 46 days credit for time served while awaiting trial and will lose his driving privileges for two years.
