Man charged with driving the wrong way on Hwy. 57 while intoxicated

A 43-year-old man accused of driving the wrong way on Highway 57 in Fredonia last month while he was drunk has been charged with a felony in Ozaukee County Circuit Court.

Fond du Lac resident Michael A. Cochenet, who is currently under the supervision of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for a possession of child pornography conviction in Fond du Lac County, faces one count of second-degree recklessly endangering safety and a misdemeanor charge of second-offense operating a vehicle under the influence of intoxicants.

According to a criminal complaint, Ozaukee County sheriff’s deputy Stefen Van Pamel responded to a report of a vehicle traveling the wrong way on Highway 57 near Highway H at 9:37 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28, and spoke to a woman who said she and her husband were driving north on Highway 57 when they saw the vehicle ahead of them swerve into the ditch and headlights coming toward them.

The woman said they also swerved into the ditch to avoid the oncoming vehicle, then kept the vehicle in sight as it continued south in the northbound lanes, watching as it passed a third vehicle.

The vehicle eventually moved into the southbound lanes, then turned onto Highway H. The woman relayed its location to authorities and Van Pamel eventually pulled it over on Highway H near Highway I in the Town of Fredonia.

Cochenet, who was the only person in the car, said he had not been driving on the wrong side of the highway and denied drinking, although Van Pamel could smell alcohol in the vehicle, the complaint states.

When asked for his address, Cochenet provided one in Fond du Lac that the deputy could not confirm and, authorities later learned, did not match the address he provided to the Department of Corrections or to the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry, according to the complaint. Authorities eventually learned he lived at a different address in Fond du Lac.

Cochenet showed signs of impairment during field sobriety tests and a breath test indicated he had an alcohol level of .08, the complaint states.

According to court records, Cochenet pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of child pornography in October 2020 in Fond du Lac County and was sentenced to three years in prison followed by seven years of extended supervision. He began serving the extended supervision portion of his sentence on June 27, 2023.

During a court hearing on Dec. 30, Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Adam Gerol set Cochenet’s bail at $2,500 and ordered him to maintain absolute sobriety and submit to alcohol monitoring if released from jail.

Second-degree recklessly endangering safety is punishable by a maximum five years in prison and five years of extended supervision, although Cochenet could face additional prison time if convicted because he is charged as a repeat offender.