A high-speed pursuit that passed through Fond du Lac County early Thursday morning reportedly reached speeds of up to 175 miles per hour before ending with a crash in Winnebago County.
According to the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office night rollover log, authorities were attempting to locate a Dodge Charger with no plates around 2 a.m. Thursday. The log says the vehicle was connected to charges through Sheboygan and Manitowoc police departments, while Dodge County had a reckless driving complaint.
The vehicle was reported traveling northbound on Highway 41 from the Military Road area with only one headlight. Deputies noted the driver had hazards on and briefly pulled over in the right lane north of Winnebago Drive before taking off again.
The log says one officer initially observed the vehicle traveling 165 miles per hour before it accelerated to 175 miles per hour. Authorities also relayed concerns about possible “suicide by cop” comments to Winnebago County and State Patrol.
State Patrol was able to deploy spike strips on Highway 41 near County Highway Z after the vehicle slowed to about 10 miles per hour. The driver then reportedly took off again before crashing a short time later just south of Highway 26 in Winnebago County.
After the crash, the person in the vehicle reportedly ran east through a field. Winnebago County units responded, and a drone from Oshkosh Police was requested. The vehicle was cleared, but the Charger was still running and began smoking under the hood, prompting a fire department response.
The log says the State Patrol will handle fleeing charges, and Winnebago County will handle the crash report.
