Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office
FOND DU LAC COUNTY, Wis. - A Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrested five people following a high-speed pursuit that lasted more than 20 minutes on Sunday, Jan. 18.
What we know:
The incident began when a deputy stopped a vehicle on Rolling Meadows Drive just south of Winnebago Street in the Township of Lamartine after license plates on the vehicle returned as "no vehicle associated," indicating they did not belong to the car, the sheriff's office said.
As the deputy approached, the vehicle fled southbound at a high rate of speed, prompting a pursuit. The vehicle later traveled westbound on Highway 23, with the pursuit lasting about 23 minutes and covering roughly 24 miles west of the city of Fond du Lac.
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Authorities said most of the pursuit occurred south of Highway 23, east of Highway 26 and north of County Highway T. During the chase, the driver made multiple U-turns to avoid spike strips and, at times, drove head-on toward deputies in an attempt to evade capture.
The pursuit ended when the vehicle attempted to hide near a farmstead on Forest Avenue Road. The vehicle entered a ditch and came to rest near a pole shed, deputies said.
Fond du Lac County pursuit, driver arrested for OWI 4th offense
An Oshkosh man was arrested for OWI following a police chase that started in Fond du Lac County on Tuesday morning, Jan. 6.
All five occupants exited the vehicle and were taken into custody without incident by responding deputies.
Dig deeper:
A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of suspected marijuana and alcohol, authorities said. Deputies also followed fresh footprints in the snow from the vehicle to a black bag hidden beneath a building, where a loaded handgun was found.
(Via the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office on Facebook)
The vehicle sustained minor damage after entering the ditch. No squad cars or other vehicles were damaged during the pursuit.
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The driver, a 20-year-old man from Black Creek, was charged with multiple counts of recklessly endangering safety, felony fleeing and eluding, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia and multiple traffic violations.
The four passengers, all under age 21, received citations for underage possession of alcohol. Some passengers also received citations for possession of drug paraphernalia.
The Wisconsin State Patrol assisted the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office during the pursuit.
The Source: The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office provided information in this report.