Woman gets prison in drunken driving death

STEVENS POINT Hanna Schacht could barely look up from the wooden table in front of her as family members of the man she killed talked about the impact of his death.

Her face couldn't be seen when prosecutor Cass Cousins made his sentencing arguments Tuesday, and she barely moved as a judge read her sentence. She didn't look up when Cousins described Daniel Wetzel — who ultimately died in a car crash after Schacht drove her car into his while drunk — telling his son Richard Wetzel to say goodbye and "I love you" to family members.

Portage County Circuit Judge Thomas Flugaur sentenced Schacht on Tuesday to six years in prison and another six years on community supervision.

Schacht, 24, of Amherst pleaded guilty July 1 to homicide and causing injury while driving after drinking.

Schacht, according to court records, drove her car at more than 70 mph when she crashed into a car driven by Richard Wetzel on the narrow, unmarked Buelow Road in the town of Lanark on Sept. 15, 2013. Daniel Wetzel died at the scene and Richard Wetzel was seriously injured and hospitalized.

A breath test taken on scene showed Schacht had a blood alcohol content of 0.15 percent, and her blood was later tested at 0.12 percent at a hospital. Schacht drank the night before the crash, meaning she would have needed to have consumed a large amount of alcohol to still be that drunk the next morning, Cousins said.

Cousins asked for a 10-year prison sentence for Schacht and as many years on supervision. While it was clear she didn't intend to kill Daniel Wetzel, Cousins said, Schacht acted irresponsibly and not only killed one man, but left Richard Wetzel with a leg twisted so badly he couldn't see his foot when he was driven to the hospital. The injury continues to bring him a lot of pain because he is unable to take many pain medications, Cousins said.

Schacht's attorney, Anne Renc, argued for a sentence of two years in prison and a longer period on supervision. Renc said Schacht's reaction times were about the same as someone who was sober, results from the crash's reconstruction showed. Schacht was able to brake prior to hitting the Wetzel's truck. The crash was more the result of Schacht's speeding than of her drinking, Renc said.

Schacht declined to offer any comment in court prior to her sentencing, but Renc read a poem Schacht had written in which she expressed remorse and pain for the crash, and a desire to lead a better life.

As part of the sentence, Schacht also will pay more than $100,000 in restitution.