WALWORTH COUNTY — A Milwaukee man who authorities say had drugs in his vehicle was arrested Sunday after he led them on a chase down I-43 where he eventually crashed in Rock County.
According to a Walworth County Sheriff’s Office news release, a pair of Walworth County deputies conducted a traffic stop Sunday on a vehicle with an Illinois registration for unlawful side window tint and no front license plate.
Initially, the driver, who authorities say was from Milwaukee, pulled over and provided the deputies with his Illinois driver’s license.
While the deputies were talking with the driver, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, they said they could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
When the deputies ordered the man to get out of the vehicle so they could further investigate, they say he shifted the vehicle into drive and fled the scene of the stop.
As the man fled, his vehicle struck the arm of one of the deputies, according to the news release. This caused the deputy pain but did not prevent the deputy from returning to the squad car to participate in pursuing the suspect vehicle.
The deputies and other law enforcement officers chased the suspect south on I-43 into Rock County.
During the pursuit, the suspect vehicle consistently traveled at approximately 110 mph, according to authorities.
In Rock County, at approximately mile marker 4, a Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper attempted to deploy stop sticks to deflate the suspect vehicle’s tires.
The driver swerved his car as he approached the location of the trooper causing him to lose control of the and crash through the median barrier.
The driver was quickly taken into custody at the scene after the crash, and first aid was initiated.
Clinton Fire and EMS were summoned to the scene to provide aid to the driver following the crash. Found in the vehicle with the suspect was approximately 1 half pound of marijuana in separate packages for distribution, 20 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine, and other THC ingestion products such as gummies and a vape device, according to the news release.
The Walworth County Sheriff’s Office is referring multiple charges to the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office
The suspect was confined at the Walworth County Jail on the night of the incident and was subsequently issued a $15,000 cash bond in Walworth County Circuit Court on July 1, 2024. Assisting agencies on this call included the City of Delavan Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, Rock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clinton Fire Protection District.