A Superior woman who was charged with driving while intoxicated after being pulled over for speeding waived her preliminary hearing May 4 in Douglas County Circuit Court.
Lynnette Marie Markkula, 56, faces one count of fifth-offense operating a motor vehicle while under the influence.
Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper Don Magdzas initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle Markkula was driving Feb. 19 after it passed his unmarked squad car and accelerated to 55 mph in a 35 mph zone. Both vehicles were northbound on Tower Avenue at the time, according to the criminal complaint.
The trooper reported he could smell an odor of intoxicants coming from Markkula’s vehicle and, after she exited the vehicle, from her. The Superior woman told Magdzas that she had one drink at a Superior business that day. She told him she had sped up to avoid traffic and hadn’t looked at her speedometer.
At the time of the incident, Markkula had a restriction on her license prohibiting her from driving with a blood-alcohol content greater than 0.02. When Madgzas administered a preliminary breath test to Markkula, it registered a breath-alcohol content of 0.151.
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According to the criminal complaint, Markkula has four prior operating while intoxicated convictions out of Minnesota, most recently in 2011. A separate citation for speeding was also issued to Markkula, according to online court records.
A $5,000 signature bond was set for Markkula and she was ordered not to use or possess alcohol and not to operate a motor vehicle without a valid permit or license.
Her next court appearance was set for July 12. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $25,000.
