Waukesha County man accused of driving drunk; "extreme intoxication"

BROOKFIELD, Wis. - A 34-year-old Pewaukee man is accused of driving drunk and being involved in a pair of hit-and-run crashes in a Brookfield parking lot. The accused is Brett Meinecke – and he faces the following criminal counts: 

• Second-degree recklessly endangering safety
• Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence-2nd offense

Brett Meinecke

Hit-and-run crashes

What we know:

According to the criminal complaint, Brookfield police were dispatched on Sunday, Jan. 18, to a hotel on S. Moorland Road for a hit-and-run complaint.

When officers arrived, the victim said the driver of a vehicle had hit her vehicle and her knee, before trying to flee the scene. The victim indicated the driver of the suspect vehicle was "possibly under the influence" and "had struck a second vehicle," the complaint says.

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Officers made contact with the second victim. That person indicated the driver of the suspect vehicle put his vehicle in reverse and struck the second car. Neither of the drivers that were struck were hurt.

Suspect vehicle located

Dig deeper:

Police located the suspect vehicle parked on S. Moorland Road, just north of Hackberry Lane. The driver was identified as the defendant, Brett Meinecke. The officer noted "extreme intoxication," the complaint says. The officer indicated Meinecke "struggled to maintain his balance and was leaning against the car for support," the complaint says. When asked how much alcohol he had to drink, the defendant stated he had consumed a case of beer and vodka. The defendant stated that "he was drinking at his residence and was coming from his house. When asked where he was traveling to, the defendant said 'nowhere' and stated that he had just been driving around," the court filing says.

The officer did not administer a couple of the standard sobriety tests because of "concern that the defendant might fall and injure himself," the complaint says. The defendant also struggled to recite his ABCs and count backwards.

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Meinecke agreed to submit to a preliminary breath test (PBT), which provided a result of 0.323 — or more than four times the legal limit for driving. The defendant was later taken to a hospital where a sample of his blood was collected.

Online records with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction show Meinecke is a licensed teacher. It is not clear, however, if he was working as one. 

Court appearance

What's next:

Meinecke made his initial appearance in Waukesha County court on Thursday, Jan. 22. Cash bond was set at $500, and later posted. Meinecke is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 4.

Meinecke's attorney offered "no comment" – and no one answered the door when FOX6 News stopped by Meinecke's house on Wednesday, Jan. 28.