A driver was arrested on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI) after his pickup truck struck a Walworth County Department of Public Works vehicle last Friday. The incident occurred on I-43 and Centralia Street in Elkhorn, shortly before 8 a.m. According to FOX6 News, the collision happened as the DPW truck was backing up on the shoulder to facilitate weed spraying operations by county workers. The other vehicle, southbound on I-43, did not change lanes or slow down to pass the stopped truck, leading to the crash.
No injuries were reported. Following the crash, the driver of the pickup truck that struck the county vehicle was cooperative with law enforcement, as per report by Channel 3000. The Wisconsin State Patrol conducted an OWI investigation, which resulted in the driver’s arrest.
In addition to the arrest for OWI, the Walworth County Sheriff's Office conducted a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Inspection of the southbound pickup truck and its trailer. The Sheriff’s Office inspector found existing violations and put the trailer out of service, as reported by WMTV15 News. Wisconsin State Patrol was requested to lead the investigation because the incident involved county property and employees.
