A two-county, high-speed police chase ended in the arrest of a Green Bay man and a nearly fatal car accident. One of the officers in pursuit was involved in a motor vehicle accident that injured three people, including a Milwaukee woman, listed in critical condition.
The incident began on a late Saturday morning in Oconto County, when a 25-year-old suspect fled from police. The pursuit continued through Brown County and into Green Bay, where the suspect abandoned the allegedly stolen vehicle. A foot chase ended with the suspect’s arrest.
A sheriff’s deputy from Brown County had joined in the pursuit along U.S. 41, where authorities had placed tire deflation devices. The deputy swerved to miss the stop sticks near Lakeview Road and crashed head-on into a car driven by a 27-year-old Milwaukee woman.
Emergency crews had to extricate the severely-injured woman from her Grand Am. The driver and her 28-year-old male passenger were transported to St. Vincent Hospital, along with the 53-year-old deputy.
The male victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The Milwaukee woman remains in critical condition.
Charges against the Green Bay man that reportedly stole a Dodge Viper are being debated by the participating law enforcement agencies. Green Bay officers recommended a charge of police obstruction. Oconto deputies want the suspect to absorb a charge of hit-and-run involving injury.
Several questions remain for investigators to answer. Who was negligent in the car crash that severely injured the Milwaukee driver? Will investigators say it is the suspect’s fault or will the deputy who caused the crash be held accountable?
A determination may have to be made whether the deputy acted with due regard or reckless disregard toward civilians when he participated in the police pursuit of the suspect.
Source: nbc15.com, “UPDATE: Woman Injured After Squad Hits Car; Chase Suspect Arrested,” July 8, 2012
