A Friday afternoon traffic stop on I-94 in Jefferson County ended with a Sun Prairie man in handcuffs and four children being handed over to another adult, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.
A trooper said he pulled the vehicle over near State Highway 89 after seeing speeding and other moving violations. The driver was arrested on suspicion of operating while intoxicated, and troopers said four children, reported to be between 8 and 13 years old, were inside the car. The youngsters were turned over to another adult at the scene while the driver was taken to the Jefferson County Jail.
FOX6 News Milwaukee reports the stop happened around 3:30 p.m. and that the 32-year-old driver completed standardized field sobriety tests before being placed under arrest. According to the station, he was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on anticipated charges of OWI and possession of open intoxicants. If convicted, it would be his first OWI offense.
Local NBC affiliate WMTV identified the driver as 32-year-old Jeffrey S. Freeman of Sun Prairie. The station reports that another adult arrived on scene and took custody of the four children. WMTV says Freeman was arrested for OWI, first offense with passengers under 16, and possession of open intoxicants before being booked at the Jefferson County Jail.
What the Law Says
In Wisconsin, a simple first-offense OWI is typically handled as a civil forfeiture. Things get more serious when aggravating factors are involved, and one of the biggest red flags in state law is having a passenger under 16 in the vehicle.
With a minor in the car, a first-offense OWI can be charged as a criminal misdemeanor, with doubled fines, a longer license revocation and potential jail time. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin Court System lay out those penalty differences in their public guidance.
Enforcement Context
The stop came as the State Patrol and other agencies were ramping up Memorial Day weekend traffic enforcement, including aerial patrols that listed I-94 in Jefferson County among targeted corridors. Local reporting on the planned effort said drivers should expect extra OWI checks and saturation patrols over the holiday weekend. Outlets including WEAU and Spectrum News 1 covered the stepped-up patrols.
The Wisconsin State Patrol provided information about the arrest to local outlets, and prosecutors will decide whether to file formal charges. Officials have not released the results of any chemical tests or medical details about the children. Court records will show how the case moves forward, and local media continue to track developments. FOX6 News Milwaukee and WMTV are among the outlets following the case.
