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Ripon man arrested after leading chase on I-41 in Fond du Lac County
FOND DU LAC – A 49-year-old Ripon man was arrested June 21 after leading authorities on an approximately 5-mile pursuit after reports of reckless driving.
The incident started around 11:13 a.m. June 21 when a 911 call reported a reckless driver headed east on State 23 in the village of Rosendale. The 911 caller said the vehicle was speeding and had run a red light at the intersection of State 23 and State 26.
A Fond du Lac County K-9 deputy and Wisconsin State Patrol trooper observed the suspect vehicle speeding on State 23 as it approached Fond du Lac. The sheriff's office said in a news release the driver failed to yield to emergency lights and sirens and merged onto Interstate 41 northbound.
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The suspect continued driving recklessly on I-41, according to the sheriff's office. As the vehicle approached County OOO, it struck a guardrail but continued northbound.
Near Sales Road, the suspect tried to use a turnaround, the sheriff's office said. At that time, the K-9 deputy executed an intervention maneuver, but the suspect continued fleeing, this time trying to travel south in the northbound lanes of I-41.
The K-9 deputy and the state trooper tried to box in the vehicle, but the suspect managed to maneuver around them after striking the trooper's squad car.
The K-9 deputy then used his patrol vehicle to push the suspect's car into the east ditch line, pinning it against a snow fence. This disabled the vehicle and ended the pursuit.
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The suspect, whose name was not released, was transported by ambulance to a local hospital before being released and taken to Fond du Lac County Jail. Charges of fleeing and eluding an officer, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, hit-and-run and operating while intoxicated are being referred to the district attorney's office.
One sheriff's office squad was damaged and a civilian vehicle suffered minor damage from gravel debris kicked up from the shoulder, the sheriff's office said. No injuries were reported. North Fond du Lac Police Department assisted on scene with traffic control.
Contact Brandon Reid at breid@
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Ripon man arrested after leading chase on I-41 in Fond du Lac County
