MONROE — A Janesville man facing charges related to a crash that killed a Juda man in the fall waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Green County Circuit Court and pleaded not guilty Thursday.

Nathan L. Leopold, 45, was charged in May with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and homicide by use of a vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance, both Class D felonies. 

The charges stem from an accident on Wisconsin 11 in Spring Grove on Oct. 20. Leopold was driving around dusk when he crossed the centerline, striking a 2006 Buick Terraza minivan, according to the criminal complaint filed May 2.

The van flipped as a result of the collision and the driver, David Leck, 70, Juda, died at the scene. His 12-year-old granddaughter managed to crawl out of the crashed vehicle with cuts to her arms and legs. A deputy at the scene noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from Leopold’s vehicle, where synthetic cannabis was also found. 

In the criminal complaint, officials noted that Leopold said he smoked marijuana a few hours earlier and went to dinner at an area establishment where he also drank two beers. Leopold’s blood tested positive for delta-9-THC and carboxy-THC, two chemicals from marijuana.

Leopold currently resides in a state prison in Oshkosh after his probation was revoked in November on a bail jumping case from 2002 in Dane County. He appeared in court Thursday via video from the prison. His attorney, Steven Zaleski, said he filed a waiver signed by Leopold indicating they would also like to enter a plea of not guilty to all charges.  

Green County Court Judge Thomas Vale asked whether Leopold would like to travel to Monroe for his arraignment. Leopold said he did not and proceeded to enter his plea via Zaleski. 

Formerly of Mount Horeb, Leopold was convicted in Dane County in 2003 after hitting a jogger along the roadway. The body of Aimee Kubler, 28, was found by her husband and brother in a ditch. DNA from the front of Leopold’s truck at the time linked him to her death. 

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, during his sentencing in 2003 Leopold insisted he was under the influence of alcohol and hadn’t realized he hit Kubler. He added that he would have stopped had he known. Police didn’t locate Leopold until three days after the crash, which was too late for him to be tested for alcohol.

Green County District Attorney Craig Nolen said in court Thursday that the county is still waiting on the results of an accident reconstruction. He requested a pre-trial conference take place in September, which is when he expected to have the results. The proceeding between Nolen and Leopold’s attorney was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Sept. 25.