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Alleged drunk driver accused of killing West Allis woman coming home from church

Posted at 10:16 PM, Feb 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-08 10:59:20-05

An alleged drunk driver was arrested for taking the life of a grandmother in West Allis.  

Kathy Deischel, 78, was on her way home from church when she was hit.

"The thing that bothers me the most is that my mom saw it coming," said Julie Swietlik, the victim's daughter.

The crash happened in West Allis at 92nd Street and Lapham Avenue on Jan. 30 around 3 p.m.  Court documents show the victim was stopped at a stop sign when she was hit. Her car was pushed into a building.  A witness said the driver "appeared to accelerate prior to striking" the car. 

"I mean the crash literally broke the frame, the A-pillars on the front windshield of the door," Swietlik said.  

Deischel suffered a brain bleed, a spinal fracture, a broken clavicle and pelvis.  The victim's daughter said her mom died from her injuries early the next morning.

"It's horrific not only from the perspective that this person took my mother but also from the perspective that they just wrecked their entire life and their family's life as well," Swietlik said.

Court documents showed the driver "admitted to taking prescription medications and denied drinking" multiple times.  Slurred speech and failed sobriety tests lead police to arrest the driver for OWI.  We're not naming her since she hasn't been charged. 

Documents said the suspect later admitted to drinking "two and a half, almost three" strong bloody marry drinks the size of mason jars with a "'shot of vodka' on the side."  

A couple hours before the accident she told police she "had an additional shot of vodka with an energy drink."  The driver also "said she was not supposed to drink" with her pills.

Deischel's daughter believed her mom isn't holding a grudge in heaven.

"She did think social justice was important, you know, so she would want them to repent for their sins, but at the same time, she would have forgiven them," Swietlik said.

The driver told police she was asked to pick up a friend's son from school but said "she did not feel she should" so instead went to the store.  She told police "she was not comfortable with herself and knew she was a little off."

The driver also hit a second car with a mother and son inside. They weren't injured.