RACINE COUNTY (WITI) -- A 22-year-old Milwaukee man has been criminally charged in connection with a high speed pursuit that occurred in Racine County early Wednesday, March 18th.
Dylan Crawley
Dylan Crawley faces one count of second degree recklessly endangering safety and one count of attempting to flee or elude a traffic officer.
A criminal complaint filed in this case says a Racine County Sheriff's deputy on patrol in an unmarked squad car observed a vehicle with no front plate and no front bumper or grill in the area of 5 Mile Road near 108th Street in the Town of Raymond. That deputy's radar indicated the vehicle was traveling at 106 miles-per-hour in a 55 mph zone.
The deputy tried to catch up with the vehicle, and observed it blow a stop sign at 5 Mile Road and County Highway U.
The deputy activated his lights and sirens at Waukesha Road. The suspect vehicle was traveling in excess of 100 miles-per-hour, according to the complaint.
At 27th Street, a Wisconsin State Trooper joined the pursuit. That trooper pulled up in a fully marked squad with lights and sirens activated.
The complaint indicates the driver of the suspect vehicle nearly lost control as the vehicle went through the curve just south of County Highway G and crossed over into the southbound lanes where he was forced to drive because of the median. Then, the driver is accused of blowing another stop sign -- this one at County Highway G -- turning westbound onto County Highway G where he nearly lost control again by taking the corner wide due to his high speeds.
The suspect vehicle continued westbound at speeds in excess of 90 miles-per-hour. The suspect locked his brakes and blew through a stop sign at County Highway G and 43rd Street -- nearly going into the ditch.
The deputy, fearing the suspect may flee on foot, positioned his squad car with its bumper against the offending vehicle's door. The deputy reported he looked the suspect in the face as the suspect put his vehicle in reverse and hit the accelerator. The suspect then struck the deputy's vehicle as he backed up, before fleeing the scene.
The deputy and the trooper continued pursuing the suspect vehicle which was traveling at speeds in excess of 90 miles-per-hour. The suspect blew through a stop sign at County Highway U, and he then began to drive erratically from one side of the road to the other before pulling over.
The suspect then fled on foot, according to the complaint.
Two K9 officers were called in to track the suspect, but they were not able to find him.
The deputy searched the suspect vehicle and found paperwork in the name of the registered owner -- Dylan Crawley. Inside the vehicle was a ticket issued by Oak Creek police on March 5th for felony fleeing and eluding.
In trying to locate Crawley, the deputy took a look at a complaint out of the Mount Pleasant Police Department that accuses Crawley of hitting a man with his car. The deputy spoke with the complainant, who said Crawley struck him with his vehicle and he flew to the ground. Crawley fled the scene, but the man reported Crawley later sent him a Facebook message, asking how his arm was.
An investigator traveled to a home on County Highway G -- to find the owner of the vehicle Crawley was accused of using to hit the man, and there, they found Crawley, sleeping on the floor in a barn.
Car of pursuit suspect in Racine County
Crawley was taken to the Racine County Sheriff's Office, where he agreed to make a statement.
Crawley told investigators on March 18th, he saw a deputy make a U-turn and he worried he was going to jail due to the previous incident out of Mount Pleasant, saying he thought the man he had hit with his vehicle "called the cops on him." Crawley admitted to the pursuit in Racine County -- and also "confidently" admitted to running from the police in Oak Creek on March 5th, according to the complaint. Crawley said he ran in Oak Creek because his license is suspended and he had unpaid tickets on his car -- saying he and his girlfriend were "laughing" about the incident.
Dylan Crawley will be in Racine County court on March 25th.