FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — A 44-year-old Milwaukee man led law enforcement on a pursuit through Fond du Lac on Saturday before losing control of his vehicle, sending it airborne over Winnebago Street and into a field.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office was notified at 9:03 a.m. on May 9 that a Wisconsin State Patrol trooper had initiated a traffic stop on I-41 northbound near U.S. Highway 151 in the Township of Fond du Lac and was requesting emergency backup. The trooper reported the driver had an active felony warrant through Kenosha County for failure to appear on a charge of operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent, as well as a caution indicator.
As a sheriff's deputy and an additional trooper arrived on scene, the vehicle fled.
Deputies lost sight of the vehicle until another Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office deputy located it traveling at a high rate of speed exiting I-41 at South Military Road in the City of Fond du Lac. The vehicle briefly stopped at the top of the off-ramp, where the deputy initiated a high-risk vehicle contact. The driver reversed until he could turn north onto South Military Road.
A pursuit followed, traveling through a business parking lot, north on South Pioneer Road, west on West Johnson Street, and back north on I-41. As the vehicle approached Winnebago Street, it exited on the off-ramp at a high rate of speed.
The driver lost control, left the roadway into the east ditch, traveled up the embankment on the south side of Winnebago Street, went airborne over Winnebago Street, and landed on the embankment on the north side of the road. The vehicle came to rest in a field. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.
The driver immediately fled on foot. Deputies engaged in a brief foot pursuit before successfully deploying an electronic control device and taking the driver into custody without further incident.
The driver was out on a $5,000 signature bond through Kenosha County for operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent — the same case his failure to appear warrant stemmed from. He sustained minor injuries in the crash and was transported by North Fond du Lac Paramedics for medical treatment before being booked into the Fond du Lac County Jail.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office charged him with fleeing/eluding, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, felony bail jumping, and resisting/obstructing an officer. The Wisconsin State Patrol will pursue additional charges of fleeing/eluding, felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of marijuana.
No other injuries were reported and no other property was damaged during the pursuit, which covered approximately 4.5 miles.
The Sheriff's Office and State Patrol were assisted by the North Fond du Lac Police Department and North Fond du Lac Fire Department.
