Paula Mejia appears before Brown County court via Zoom, January 10, 2024. (Brown Co. court/Zoom)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Paula Mejia will be sentenced June 14 for the drunken driving crash that killed a man and injured his son.
Mejia, 48, pleaded no contest Friday to homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle, and injury by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle for the April 12, 2023 crash in Lawrence. Two other charges were dismissed. She was taken into custody after the hearing.
According to the plea negotiations summary, prosecutors would ask for a total of ten years in prison and ten years of extended supervision, while the defense could argue for a lesser sentence. The judge would not be bound by those recommendations, and could impose the maximum sentence, which would be 37.5 years in prison system (initial confinement and extended supervision combined).
According to the criminal complaint, police responded to French Road and Little Rapids Road for a two-vehicle crash.
Mejia’s SUV was on its roof and on fire. An officer removed her from the SUV. The other vehicle was also damaged. The dad was pronounced dead at the scene, while the teen was taken to a hospital.
Witnesses at the scene said Mejia had been drinking at a work party at one place and then drinking at a second pub.
Mejia told police she had two beers. Because of her injuries, officers did not perform a field sobriety test. She declined to have a blood draw done, so a warrant was obtained. Results of the test are not cited in the complaint.
The 14-year-old suffered two broken femurs, a broken elbow and broken wrist.
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