Fond du Lac County, WI — A 49-year-old Ripon man was taken into custody Saturday morning following a dangerous five-mile police pursuit that began after reports of reckless driving through Rosendale.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office said dispatchers received a call around 11:13 a.m. reporting a reckless driver speeding eastbound on State Highway 23. The caller stated the vehicle had been traveling at high speeds and ran a red light.
A Fond du Lac K9 Deputy and a Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper spotted the suspect vehicle speeding near Fond du Lac and attempted to stop the driver, but he refused to yield, prompting a pursuit.
The chase continued onto Interstate 41, where the suspect reportedly struck a guardrail before continuing northbound. Deputies attempted a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle, but it was unsuccessful.
The situation escalated when the suspect turned and fled south in the northbound lanes of I-41, driving directly against oncoming traffic. Deputies and troopers attempted to trap the vehicle, but the suspect managed to evade them and struck a squad car in the process.
The pursuit ended when the K9 Deputy used his patrol vehicle to push the suspect’s car off the roadway into a ditch and pin it against a fence.
The suspect, identified as a 49-year-old Ripon man, was evaluated at a hospital before being transported to the Fond du Lac County Jail. He faces multiple charges, including fleeing and eluding an officer, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, hit and run, and suspicion of operating while intoxicated (OWI).
The chase caused damage to a sheriff’s squad car and minor damage to a civilian vehicle from gravel debris. No injuries were reported.
The incident remains under investigation.
