Racine County 3-car crash: Driver charged with 7 counts

RACINE COUNTY, Wis. - Deputies responded to a three-vehicle collision on southbound I-94, just South of Highway K, in the Town of Raymond around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, June 30.

Upon arrival, deputies discovered a blue Honda Accord in the middle lanes of traffic, a white U-Haul van against the median wall, and a green Ford Focus off the interstate. Deputies determined two of the vehicles’ operators were injured and the operator of the third vehicle had fled the scene on foot.

Deputies completely shut down the southbound lanes of I-94 from 2:55 a.m. until 3:58 a.m. to investigate the collisions, document the scene, and clear the vehicles/debris.

An investigation found the Ford Focus was traveling southbound in lane #2 when the Honda Accord approached from the rear at a high rate of speed. The Honda Accord struck the Ford Focus in the rear causing the Ford Focus to slide off the interstate into the ditch, coming to rest momentarily on the passenger side of the vehicle. After the initial collision, the Honda Accord was blocking the middle lanes of I-94, and its operator ran from the scene. Next, the U-Haul, which was traveling southbound on I-94, was unable to avoid the Honda Accord and struck the vehicle. After the second collision, the operator of the U-Haul pulled over to the center median.

The operators of the U-Haul and Ford Focus were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Deputies located the operator of the Honda Accord walking in a business park just North of HWY 20, and he was identified as Michael Saldana, a 22-year-old white male from Kenosha. Deputies observed that Saldana had red/glassy eyes, slurred speech, and the odor of intoxicants coming from his person. Deputies searched Saldana’s vehicle and located 3.7 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms, a grinder, and an open can of beer.

Deputies transported Saldana to the hospital for a legal blood draw pursuant to their investigation of Saldana causing an accident while being impaired. After the legal blood draw, deputies transported Saldana to the Racine County Jail where he was held on a $16,500 bail for the following charges:

Operating While Intoxicated (2nd Offense)
Operating While Intoxicated Causing Injury (2nd Offense) - 2 Counts.
Reckless Driving Causing Bodily Harm - 2 Counts
Operating While Revoked
Possession of Hallucinogenic Substances
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Open Intoxicants – Driver