WAUSAU, Wis. (WFRV) – Officials in Wausau say a wrong-way driver was safely stopped and arrested for their 3rd OWI offense late Saturday night.
According to a release from the Wausau Police Department, police were notified at 11:44 p.m. that a vehicle had jumped the median on US 51 and was driving north in the southbound lanes.
A nearby officer was said to have quickly responded and found the wrong-way vehicle near County Road U. After using the closest crossover to get in front of the vehicle, the vehicle passed by the squad car and eventually came to a stop.
One dead following a shooting at a Mexican restaurant in Wisconsin
After speaking with the driver, a 49-year-old man, police learned that prior to the stop, the man lost control of his vehicle and hit a guard rail near State Highway 29, causing damage to his vehicle.
He then left the crash scene, driving down the wrong side of the freeway while also passing multiple opportunities to exit. Police say the man told them he thought he was heading home to Green Bay but was actually heading towards Merrill.
Thank you to the citizen who alerted us to this situation, allowing the officer to quickly get in position to stop him before it turned into tragedy.
Please. If you choose to drink, do NOT drive impaired. It’s not worth losing your money or hurting yourself and others.
The Wausau Police Department
The 49-year-old driver was then arrested for his 3rd OWI offense. No other information is available.
