Wausau Pilot & Review
A 38-year-old man who allegedly crashed his vehicle into a lamp post is facing felony charges after a breath test showed he had a blood alcohol level of 0.35 percent, according to court documents.
Brandon J. Mercier, of New Richmond, faces his fifth drunken driving charge after his arrest. Charges were filed earlier this month in Marathon County Circuit Court.
Deputies were called at about 7:30 p.m. Sept. 8 to Community Drive in Colby after a witness reported seeing a man stumble from his Lincoln Town Car after backing into the light post. The driver then got back into his vehicle and drove to a nearby parking lot, where he was confronted by a deputy.
Police say Mercier, who was behind the wheel, refused sobriety testing but submitted a breath test. While the legal limit for driving in Wisconsin is 0.08 percent, Mercier is subject to a 0.02 percent limit due to his four prior convictions, the most recent of which was in 2018.
On Sept. 11, Mercier was ordered held on a $5,000 cash bond. He remains behind bars, with a review hearing set for Friday. He faces up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted on the felony charge.
You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
