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St. Francis police chase
A traffic stop turned into a police chase in St. Francis, which then ended when the fleeing car struck a police squad head-on.
ST. FRANCIS, Wis. - A traffic stop turned into a police chase in St. Francis, which then ended when the fleeing car struck a police squad head-on, early Thursday morning.
Traffic stop leads to chase
What we know:
According to the St. Francis Police Department, police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a car near Pennsylvania and Howard at about 2:34 a.m.
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The officer was attempting to pull the car over because the vehicle’s registered owner, a 46-year-old Milwaukee man, had a revoked driver’s license and a body-only warrant with the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office stemming from a previous OWI arrest.
The car did not stop and instead got on Highway 794 northbound from Howard Avenue, and the chase started.
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The officer pursued the vehicle northbound on Highway 794 and onto Carferry Drive, where the fleeing car briefly stopped at the gated entrance on the south end of Jones Island in Milwaukee.
The fleeing car attempted a U-turn to avoid apprehension when it struck a St. Francis police squad head-on. It caused enough damage to the fleeing car to disable it.
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St. Francis police officers, with help from the Milwaukee Police Department and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, were able to take the driver and a passenger into custody.
The entire chase was 2.5 miles. No officers were injured in the crash.
Charges referred
What's next:
The driver, who was identified as the fleeing car's registered owner, was taken to the Milwaukee County Jail. St. Francis police will be referring the following charges to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office:
- Operating while intoxicated (second offense)
- Flee and/or elude officer
- Second-degree recklessly endangering safety
- Possession of methamphetamine
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Bail jumping (two counts)
The passenger, a 42-year-old Milwaukee man, had an outstanding warrant for his arrest with the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. He was turned over to the sheriff's office on scene without incident.
The Source: The St. Francis Police Department sent FOX6 a press release.