A man who struck and killed a Baraboo woman cycling in rural Sauk County in October 24 learned his fate on Friday.
Taurean Johnson Puttman, 33, of Rib Lake, received a 22-year sentence in Sauk County Court for homicide by operation of a vehicle with a detectable amount of a restricted controlled substance. He will spend 14 years behind bars and eight more with extended supervision.
Christin Harding, 61, of Baraboo, died of her injuries after Johnson Puttman struck her while she was on her bicycle with his SUV and fled the scene. After being apprehended by authorities, he claimed to believe he hit a deer.
However, traffic camera footage showed Harding and another cyclist wearing bright-colored clothes, and according to the criminal complaint, Johnson Puttman's behavior after the crash and statements from children inside the SUV contradicted the driver's claims. He also tested positive for Delta-9 THC.
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"Choosing to flee the scene of a collision rather than rendering aid is a profound failure of human decency," Sauk County District Attorney Michael Albrecht said in a statement. "This sentence represents a significant step in utilizing the full weight of our legal system to address the defendant's callous disregard for life and the dishonesty that followed."
Charges of a hit and run involving death, homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle, and knowingly operating a vehicle while suspended causing death were dismissed but were read in for consideration in future cases.
According to a criminal complaint filed in January 2025:
A Sauk County detective received a report of the crash on Levee Road in the town of Fairfield east of Baraboo during the late afternoon on Oct. 8, 2024.
The male cyclist who was riding behind Harding saw Johnson Puttman's red SUV strike her before continuing east on Levee Road. Further talks with the cyclist and a Sauk County lieutenant revealed that the red SUV often dropped someone off at the Boxxx Office Gentleman's Club near the Sauk and Columbia County border.
Two days later, the male cyclist said that the vehicle brushed his arm before hitting Harding. He said that the vehicle "left like a bat out of hell" and was "gone like a flash."
A manager at Boxxx Office told authorities that Johnson Puttman dropped off one of the club's bartenders just before noon on Oct. 8, 2024. The manager reported not seeing any vehicle damage.
After speaking with the club manager, the detective learned that Columbia County Sheriff's Office deputies stopped the red SUV on Tritz Road east of the county border. The SUV had front-end damage and numerous law enforcement officers were speaking with Johnson Puttman.
Despite telling the detective he thought he hit a deer, Johnson Puttman yelled to children in the SUV to not make incriminating statements. After speaking with the children and seeing damage that appeared new, the detective arrested Johnson Puttman.
One of Johnson Puttman's children reported hearing her father apologizing to the other cyclist after the crash, indicating he may have been aware that he hit someone. The girl also said that Johnson Puttman told her, "I accidentally hit a lady."
In an interview at the Sauk County Sheriff's Office, Johnson Puttman told the detective that he, the club employee and the children were homeless and sleep in the vehicle at times. He said in the interview that he did not know what he hit and that his children told him he hit a deer, after which he said he "kept going."
Johnson Puttman said he did not see anyone riding a bicycle nor did he see a deer.
According to another Sauk County detective who spoke with a witness the next day, the witness and her husband reported seeing the SUV going about 80 to 100 miles per hour on Oct. 8 and "just missed hitting us head on." Despite the vehicle's speed, the witness saw the driver and said she recognized him from a booking photo.
The cyclist who was riding with Harding spoke with the same detective on Oct. 10. He said he and Harding were wearing green and orange/yellow reflective vests.
