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Watertown fatal hit-and-run; Jeffrey Redecker bound over for trial

By and
Published  January 2, 2026 1:25pm CST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX6 News Milwaukee

The Brief

    • A judge found probable cause to hold Jeffrey Redecker for trial for a fatal drunk-driving hit-and-run in Watertown.
    • Redecker allegedly struck and dragged a pedestrian in a high-visibility jacket on Dec. 21, fleeing the scene with a 0.121 BAC.
    • Police used witness video to trace the truck to Redecker’s home, where they found blood and clothing fragments on the vehicle.

JEFFERSON, Wis. - A Jefferson County judge found probable cause on Friday, Jan. 2 to hold a Watertown man over for trial. 

54-year-old Jeffrey Redecker is accused of driving drunk when he fatally struck a pedestrian and fled the scene on Dec. 21. Redecker is charged with three felonies, including homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. He is expected to enter pleas to those charges on Feb. 26.

Jeffrey Redecker

Watertown hit-and-run

The backstory:

Watertown police were called to the area of 5th and Main. It was reported that a pedestrian was hit there around 12:40 a.m. on the morning of Dec. 21, but officers found the victim near 2nd and Main.

"He was breathing when we arrived. However, I could see blood coming from his head," testified Watertown Police Officer Benjamin Miller during a preliminary hearing on Friday. 

Watertown Police Officer Benjamin Miller

The victim

Dig deeper:

Family members identified the victim as 35-year-old Cole Strohbusch. The married father of three later died from his injuries. 

Cole Strohbusch

Police said someone was waiting to pick up Strohbusch, and was recording a video when the driver of the truck hit him crossing the street.

"It showed the truck actually striking the victim and the victim being dragged under the truck – that’s when it got cut off," Officer Miller testified. 

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Strohbusch was wearing a neon green construction jacket. Police said he was dragged three blocks. 

In court Friday, Officer Miller said investigators used license plate readers to track down Redecker's truck. When they went to Redecker's house three hours later, police said he was drunk. 

Jeffrey Redecker

Officer's testimony

What they're saying:

"I could smell the odor of intoxicants coming from him. His responses were slow," Officer Miller testified. 

A preliminary breath test for Redecker came back 0.121 – one-and-a-half times the legal limit to drive. Redecker said he did not know anyone was hit and "didn't even feel a bump."

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Redecker sat silently in court on Friday. A judge previously set cash bond at $500,000. 

Jeffrey Redecker

Strohbusch's family declined to comment. A relative told FOX6 News community donations are still being accepted at the Gasthaus Bar & Grill (1500 Bridge Street) in Watertown.

The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, the criminal complaint associated with this case, and previous FOX6 News coverage. 

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