By Shereen Siewert
A 43-year-old Mosinee man was allegedly driving with a blood alcohol concentration more than 10 times his court-imposed limit when he crashed his vehicle Tuesday in Marathon County, according to court records.
Derek J. Wilke faces charges of fifth offense operating while intoxicated, operating with a revoked license and possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with the May 19 crash.
His most recent OWI conviction was just nine months earlier in Portage County, where he received a 220-day jail sentence, according to online court records.
Police say they were called at about 7:39 p.m. to the intersection of Hwy. C and Rozak Road in the town of Knowlton for a report of a single-vehicle crash with injuries. The Wisconsin State Patrol, Marathon County Sheriff’s Department and firefighters responded to the scene.
Wilke allegedly admitted having several drinks prior to the crash. After field sobriety tests, Wilke was arrested and taken to the Marathon County Jail, where jail staff reported a preliminary breath test registered Wilke at 0.210 percent, according to court documents. Wilke has a 0.02 percent restriction due to his four prior OWI convictions.
During an initial appearance Wednesday in Marathon County Circuit Court, Judge Greg Huber ordered Wilke held on a $5,000 cash bond. He remains jailed as of Thursday evening.
A preliminary hearing is set for May 27.
