Dash cam shows chase suspect driving through church lawn, wrong-way traffic in Fond du Lac
By: Two people are facing multiple criminal charges, accused of leading deputies on a lengthy chase that involved driving on a church’s lawn and weaving through wrong-way traffic.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office said on July 22, deputies were made aware of a pursuit that had just occurred with a stolen vehicle in Winnebago County. The Wisconsin State Patrol pursuit had been terminated due to the suspect’s dangerous driving, with the intent that the driver end his reckless driving and begin driving safely again once the pursuit was terminated.
Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office deputies set up on roadways leading into the county to attempt to find the vehicle. The sheriff’s office shared an edited video of the chase, which begins on Lakeshore Drive, where a sheriff’s deputy spotted a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle that had been pursued in Winnebago County.
The sheriff’s office said somewhere between the first chase in Winnebago County and the second chase in Fond du Lac County, the suspect had switched license plates.
The second chase was also terminated due to the high degree of danger, however, a deputy who was set up east of the city limits spotted the suspect vehicle that was speeding, and a third chase ensued.
In addition to the reckless driving, the sheriff’s office said the driver was also driving with signs of impairment. Deputies decided that the suspect posed a threat to other drivers on the road, so it was necessary to stop the vehicle.
The chase ended when a deputy used a PIT maneuver. Two people in the vehicle were taken into custody without further incident. Suspected heroin was located and among other charges, the driver was arrested for OWI.
Both suspects remain in custody in the Fond du Lac County Jail as of Friday afternoon. Bond has been set at $100,000 for the driver of the vehicle involved in this pursuit, and $1,000 for the passenger.