Waukesha wrong-way crash; Sullivan woman pleads guilty to 2 charges

Crash on Highway 16, Waukesha County

A 48-year-old Sullivan woman pleaded guilty on Monday, April 29 to charges of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle and first-degree recklessly endangering safety – following a February 2023 car crash in Waukesha. 

Melissa Bright entered those guilty pleads Monday. In exchange, eight other criminal counts against her were dismissed. 

Bright is scheduled to be sentenced on June 21.

A 19-year-old woman was killed in that car crash on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023. It happened on eastbound State Highway 16 in Waukesha. Police said several witnesses saw one vehicle enter the eastbound lanes of State Highway 16 from State Highway 83 going westbound the wrong way around 2:30 p.m. The vehicle collided with another vehicle in the eastbound lanes of traffic.

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The driver of the wrong-way vehicle was Bright. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Crash on Highway 16, Waukesha County

The woman who was killed was identified as Brooklyn Gridley from Dousman. Police had to extricate her, and she was flown to the hospital, where she passed away as a result of her injuries.