Greendale police chase ends in car airborne over snowbank, crashing into Chase Bank
The Greendale Police Department has released body cam footage of a vehicle pursuit that ended with the suspect crashing over a snowbank and into the north side of a Chase Bank near 76th Street and Rawson Avenue in Greendale.
The driver in the fleeing vehicle, a 28-year-old Oak Creek man, is being charged with fleeing and eluding an officer and second-degree reckless endangerment — both felonies.
The endangerment charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, while fleeing an officer has a maximum imprisonment of 3½ years. Additionally, each charge could result in a fine of up to $25,000.
He was also given citations for resisting an officer, operating a vehicle after suspension, unreasonable/imprudent speed and non-registration of an automobile.
According to the Greendale Police Department:
On Friday, Jan 26, at 2:54 a.m., a Greendale police officer attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding and having a registration violation near 76th Street and Hill Ridge Drive in Greendale. The officer pulled the vehicle over, but the driver took off before the officer could exit his squad car.
Police pursued the car for about 40 seconds until reaching 76th Street and Rawson Avenue. The vehicle attempted to turn east onto Rawson Avenue when it lost control and went airborne over a sidewalk covered by a snowbank, and crashed into the north side of a Chase Bank near the intersection.
The driver then exited the vehicle and fled on foot through the nearby parking lots. He was eventually arrested in a wooded area by officers from the Franklin Police Department who were called in for assistance. The suspect was then taken to the Milwaukee County Jail.
There were no injuries during this pursuit. Police did not provide information about the speed at which the vehicles were traveling during the chase.
The suspect's vehicle was towed from the scene. There was damage to the bank where the vehicle hit, including an electrical box, a gas meter, a downspout and some landscaping. The total cost of the damage is unknown, police said.