By Shereen Siewert
A 30-year-old Unity woman who crashed into a horse-drawn buggy, injuring the horses and seriously injuring one of the two men inside, was given a withheld sentence that includes one year of probation.
Ashley R. Halopka was sentenced last month in Marathon County Court, where she faced charges of reckless driving causing great bodily harm, a felony, and reckless driving causing injury, a misdemeanor. Charges were filed June 16 in connection with the April 22, 2021 crash, which happened at about 4:30 p.m. on West Veterans Parkway in Marshfield.
According to court documents, the buggy driver was heading north out of Marshfield when the vehicle and horses were struck by Halopka, who was driving a 2011 Jeep. A witness told police she was following Halopka and saw no brake lights prior to the crash.
As part of a plea agreement, Circuit Judge Suzanne O’Neill dismissed the felony and issued a withheld sentence on the misdemeanor, which means Halopka is on probation and no sentence was formally assessed. If her probation is revoked, Halopka will face the same maxim penalty for the reckless driving charge.
Halopka was also ordered to pay a $300 fine.
