Driver charged with homicide in bicyclist's death in Racine County

By TOM HELD theld@journalsentinel.com A mix of beer and the prescription drug Adderall impaired the 43-year-old woman who drove into two bicyclists in Racine County two weeks ago, according to the criminal complaint charging her with homicide. Janell Gehrke failed three sobriety tests after the crash that killed Nancy Sellars, 48, and severely injured Thomas Chopp, 65, according to the complaint. The driver, from Franksville, told a sheriff’s deputy she had four to five bottles of MGD 64 beer in the hours before the crash, which occurred about 6:25 p.m. July 9, according to the complaint. She also told the deputy that the Adderall she had been taking to treat attention deficit disorder for two months seemed to significantly enhance the effects of alcohol, the complaint says. Tests to determine Gehrke’s blood-alcohol level... [read full story]