Driver involved in deadly motorcycle accident pleads guilty

Billie Jo McSherry, 29, of Tigerton, pleaded guilty Tuesday, April 3 to three felonies in a drunken-driving crash on July 8, 2017 that killed motorcyclist Robert Korhonen of Antigo and critically injured his daughter, Stacey Zarda.
McSherry struck Korhonen’s motorcycle after crossing the center line of Highway 49. She also had her nine-year old child with her in her vehicle at the time of the accident.
When questioned, McSherry said she was driving home but couldn’t remember where she was coming from. She admitted to consuming alcohol prior to driving, but refused a breathalyzer test. A blood test later confirmed she had a .30 blood alcohol level — more than three times the legal limit.
Following the blood draw at the hospital, McSherry became violent, the complaint said, and tried leaving the examination room. She then kicked and spat at deputies, and began screaming and swearing loudly. After being fitted with an oxygen mask so she couldn’t spit on the deputies, she attempted to bite a hospital staffer.
McSherry will be sentenced on July 6 and remains in the Portage County Jail on a $350,000 cash bond.