A Waunakee woman pleaded no contest to felony homicide charges Thursday in Dane County Court after she killed a UW-Madison student in a drunk driving incident last January.
The defendant, 25-year-old Nicole Bruns, was charged with five felonies in the death of student Alexandra Ihm, who Bruns hit with her car while driving drunk in January 2017. Bruns pleaded no contest to felony homicide by intoxicated use of vehicle, a Class D felony that could result in up to 25 years of prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
A charge of driving a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration was dismissed as part of a plea deal. Three other felony charges were dropped, but the judge will be able to consider those in Bruns’ sentencing. Before the other charges were dropped, she faced up to 95 years in prison.
Ihm, a Hollandale, Wisconsin native, was crossing the intersection of North Randall Avenue and Regent Street when Bruns ran through flashing red lights and hit her. She died several weeks later on March 6, 2017 as a result of her injuries.
Bruns will be sentenced on Jan. 3, 2019.
