(Kenosha County Sheriff)
PADDOCK LAKE, Wis. — A 32-year-old Trevor woman is facing criminal charges after crashing her SUV while allegedly impaired and transporting two children—one of whom was not properly restrained, according to a complaint filed Tuesday in Kenosha County Circuit Court.
Margaret J. Merkel was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (second offense) with a minor in the vehicle, a misdemeanor, and felony possession of narcotic drugs. Commissioner William Michel II set bail at $300 cash. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 25.
According to the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy McGrath heard what appeared to be a crash around 9:56 p.m. on July 20 and observed a black GMC Terrain jump a curb near the Paddock Lake Sporting Goods store on 75th Street. When he arrived at the scene, Merkel was outside the vehicle, assessing the damage, while two children—a 10-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl—were found uninjured in the back seat. The younger child was not in any form of child safety restraint, deputies noted.
Merkel told the deputy that the children had screamed, startling her and causing her to turn around while driving. That distraction reportedly caused her to veer off the road and strike a mailbox. A witness who was following Merkel confirmed that the children had been unruly at a restaurant earlier and suggested Merkel may have been tired from work.
Deputies reported that Merkel showed signs of impairment, including droopy eyelids, slurred and raspy speech, stumbling, and appearing to fall asleep while standing. She admitted to taking Clonazepam and Adderall but could not recall when. Her performance on several field sobriety tests was poor, but a preliminary breath test showed no alcohol in her system.
Based on the severity of her impairment and her history of opioid addiction, deputies searched her purse and vehicle. They found several loose pills, including four 30mg Oxycodone tablets that Merkel admitted were not prescribed to her. Additional pills were discovered in an unlabeled bottle, including Clonazepam and amphetamines.
Merkel has a prior OWI conviction from 2022 in Twin Lakes. In addition to the criminal charges, she was cited for deviation from her lane and for violating child safety restraint requirements for a child under 8 years of age.
If convicted, Merkel faces up to one year in jail for the OWI charge and up to three and a half years in prison for the narcotics offense.
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6 Responses
Talk about someone who looks like a flat loser. Those poor kids
If something eventually happens to those kids the Kenosha judicial system should be held accountable if the keep letting her off the hook
Maybe she needs her kids taken away, perhaps she’ll grow the f up then.
Is CPS looking into this????
Yep she just threatened their lives and the deputy allowed it so he will be getting a complaint as well sitting her car on the tracks Oct 23, 2025 she did this
You’re a dumb bitch sara