UPDATE FROM MARATHON COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT:
On Tuesday, March 17th, 2015, at approximately 9:55AM, the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office of a vehicle pursuit that their deputies were involved in and that the pursuit would be entering Marathon County on State Highway 29.
The initial report that the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office provided to the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office was that the suspect vehicle was stolen from the city of Clintonville, and that the suspected driver might have some type of mental health condition related issues.
Marathon County Sheriff’s deputies took control of the pursuit upon its entry into Marathon County. Marathon County Sheriff’s deputies continued the pursuit westbound on State Highway 29, at which time additional deputies were deployed to that area as well as assisting officers from the Everest Metro Police Department, Rothschild Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Wausau Police Department.
Officers attempted several times to deploy stop stick deflation devices; however, the fleeing driver drove around the deployed stop sticks as well as driving through the median area between eastbound and westbound lanes of State Highway 29.
The fleeing driver crossed over through the median area several times and began traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes, then would cross back over through the median area and continue fleeing in the westbound lanes.
The fleeing suspect continued westbound on State Highway 29, then continued northbound on US-51. Due to the extremely dangerous driving actions of the fleeing driver, a Marathon County Sheriff’s Detective engaged the fleeing vehicle with his squad vehicle to prevent him from exiting onto Rib Mountain Drive from US-51 where he would have presented an extreme danger to motorists on Rib Mountain Drive.
The fleeing suspect was able to drive away from that engagement at which time he struck three other squad vehicles who were attempting to contain him. After striking the other squad vehicles, the detective engaged the fleeing again with his squad vehicle in the median area; however, the fleeing vehicle was able to drive away from that engagement; however, his vehicle was severely damaged and his vehicle came to a stop in the median when he continued northbound on US-51 and attempted to drive down the embankment between US-51 northbound and the on-ramp from Rib Mountain Drive to US-51 northbound. The 59 year old male driver (sole occupant of fleeing vehicle) was arrested without incident.
Four squad vehicles were damaged, the fleeing vehicle sustained damage, and one officer sustained minor injuries.
This incident is still under investigation,
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A 58-year-old Clintonville man is behind bars in the Marathon County Jail after a high speed chase spanning three counties Tuesday morning.
According to Captain Jim Beggs of the Clintonville Police Department police responded to the report of vehicle stolen from Steinke Auto around 9:30 a.m. The suspect vehicle was spotted by Marion officers just minutes later. Captain Beggs said the suspect vehicle continued north on Highway 45 leaving the city and heading into Shawano County.
A pursuit continued as the suspect vehicle headed west on Highway 29 and then north on Highway 51. The chase ended around 10:39 a.m. near County Highway N in Rib Mountain.
Here is a Press-Release From The Clintonville Police Department:
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