FOND DU LAC COUNTY, Wis. (WFRV) – A 49-year-old Ripon man was arrested on Saturday morning following a five-mile pursuit after a report of a reckless driver heading east coming through Rosendale.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office said that dispatchers received a call around 11:13 a.m. on Saturday to report a reckless driver traveling eastbound on State Highway 23 through Rosendale. The caller reportedly said that the vehicle had been speeding and ran a red light.
A Fond du Lac K9 Deputy and a Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper also witnessed the suspect vehicle speeding near Fond du Lac and refusing to yield to emergency sirens, causing a pursuit.
The pursuit began after the driver merged onto I-41, where the suspect vehicle continued to recklessly drive. The suspect reportedly hit a guardrail and continued north as a deputy attempted a PIT maneuver, which ultimately failed.
The suspect vehicle fled south in the northbound lanes of I-41, as the K9 Deputy and State Trooper attempted to trap the driver; however, the suspect driver got around them and hit a squad car.
The K9 Deputy used his patrol vehicle and pushed the suspect’s car into the east ditch line and pinned it against a fence, which ended the pursuit. The suspect was identified as a 49-year-old Ripon man, who was evaluated at a hospital and then taken to the Fond du Lac County Jail.
The man faces the following charges, including suspicion of Operating While Intoxicated:
- Fleeing and Eluding an Officer
- First-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety
- Hit and Run
The five-mile pursuit caused damage to a Sheriff’s Office squad car, while a civilian vehicle was slightly damaged by gravel debris. No injuries were reported.
No additional details are available.
