Cheryl Mitchell (Brown Co. Jail)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Cheryl Mitchell was convicted Friday for a drunk driving crash on Thanksgiving which killed one person and injured two others. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 14.
She told police she had three glasses of wine in the hours before the wrong-way crash on I-43. A blood test showed a BAC of .257 — more than three times the legal limit.
Mitchell, 68, pleaded no contest to three counts, including homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. Three other counts were dismissed but can be considered at sentencing.
According to court documents, prosecutors gave the defense several options for what it would argue for at sentencing. One option was for 12 years in prison and eight years of extended supervision, with the defense being able to ask for what it deemed appropriate. The second option was for a joint recommendation of ten years in prison and ten years of extended supervision. However, the attorneys did not address Friday which might have been selected.
According to the criminal complaint, emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle crash on I-43 near the ramp with State 96 in New Denmark shortly after 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Mitchell told police she was traveling from Denmark to Pound.
“Cheryl stated she drank some wine at her nieces. I asked Cheryl if she remembered how much wine she drank. Cheryl stated she maybe had three glasses,” the complaint states. “Cheryl stated she had 3 glasses of red wine and started drinking around 12:00 pm and stopped at 4:00 pm.”
After being taken to a hospital, Mitchell declined to perform a field sobriety test, but a blood draw was taken.
At this time, based on the totality of the circumstances, the odor of intoxicants coming from Cheryl’s vehicle, breath, her slurred slow speech and lack of balance, I believed Cheryl was under the influence of intoxicants,” the complaint states.
The driver of the vehicle Mitchell hit told police “he was going southbound on I-43 and was going to exit but was struck head-on by the other vehicle,” according to the complaint.
He and his wife were injured and their son died two days after the crash.
Mitchell was convicted of OWI in Kewaunee County in 1989, the complaint states.
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