Near Crash at Mall Ends in Fourth OWI Charge

A New Berlin woman with three drunken driving convictions nearly hit a car at the mall and had a high blood-alcohol level, a criminal complaint alleges.

Allyson M. Featherly, 48, was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court on Nov. 19 with one count of fourth offense operating while intoxicated within a five-year period and one count of operating a motor vehicle after revocation of license. If convicted, she faces up to four years in prison and $12,500 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

At 3:55 p.m. Nov. 17, Brookfield police officers were called to Bluemound Road and Main Street after a man reported Featherly may have hit a vehicle while leaving Brookfield Square Mall and she nearly hit his vehicle. The man followed Featherly, who continued driving west on Bluemound and eventually pulled into Bullwinkle's and parked in its lot.

A Brookfield police officer followed and approached Featherly’s car. As he walked up, she opened her door and said "what," then looked at the officer and said, "I didn't hit that vehicle."

The officer noticed Featherly smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes.

The man who reported the incident also talked with the officer in the parking lot and Featherly began to walk away. The officer told her to stop, but she began to walk towards Motel 6 and she was placed under arrest.

Featherly was taken to Elmbrook Memorial Hospital where she failed field sobriety tests and took a Breathalyzer test, which revealed a blood alcohol level of 0.335, which is more than four times the legal limit to drive in Wisconsin.

Featherly previously was convicted of OWI in 2007, 2010 and 2011.