A stolen GMC Yukon slammed into a parked vehicle on Manitowoc's south side early Sunday before speeding away, leaving police searching for whoever was behind the wheel. Officers were called to the 2100 block of Fairmont Street around 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 6 to investigate the crash, and the SUV was later found unoccupied on Rheaume Road.
According to Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, the Yukon had already been reported stolen before it struck the parked car and fled the scene. Manitowoc police are now asking residents in the area to check their home security cameras for any footage that might help identify who was driving or what happened before the vehicle turned up abandoned.
What Wisconsin Law Says About Fleeing a Crash
Under Wisconsin Statute § 346.68, any driver who collides with an unattended vehicle is required to stop immediately and either find the owner or leave written contact information behind, according to the Wisconsin State Legislature. Failing to do so for property-damage crashes can result in up to a $200 civil forfeiture rather than jail time. Separately, intentionally driving a vehicle without the owner's consent is classified as a Class H felony under Wisconsin Statute § 943.23, punishable by up to six years in prison and $10,000 in fines, though abandoning a vehicle undamaged within 24 hours can reduce the charge to a Class A misdemeanor, per Wisconsin trial law firm GRGB Law.
It remains unknown whether the Fairmont Street crash caused any injuries or was strictly a property-damage incident, and investigators have not said whether the SUV was picked up by any of Manitowoc's automated license plate readers before it was abandoned. Whether private security cameras in the area caught images of the suspect or suspects dumping the vehicle is also an open question.
A City Already Debating Its Camera Network
The crash comes amid ongoing public debate in Manitowoc over the city's former network of 13 Automated License Plate Reader Flock cameras, which have been deactivated, a discussion covered by the Herald Times Reporter last month. Neighboring Two Rivers has defended its own dozen Flock cameras as Wisconsin cities elsewhere ditch theirs entirely, arguing the technology helps solve hit-and-runs and locate stolen vehicles even as privacy concerns persist countywide.
Despite this weekend's crash, no decade-and-a-half trend in Manitowoc's motor vehicle theft numbers is established here. Statewide, Wisconsin vehicle-theft rates are discussed on the linked CrimeGrade.org page.
Nationally, stolen-vehicle recovery is also discussed by FinanceBuzz. The Yukon was found on Rheaume Road, while the suspects remain unidentified.
This is not the first time Fairmont Street has drawn police attention for vehicle crime. Back in July 2020, Manitowoc police investigated a string of overnight vehicle entries stretching from the 1100 block of N. 21st Street to the 2200 block of Fairmont Street.
How to Report Information
Anyone with home camera footage or information about the crash is encouraged to share it with police. Residents who wish to remain anonymous should use an anonymous tip channel.
