A driver topped 100 mph fleeing a Washington County Sheriff's deputy early Thursday, leading officers on a 14-mile chase through five communities before abandoning a vehicle in Slinger that deputies say contained methamphetamine. The suspect ran off on foot near Cedar Bluffs Drive in Slinger and was not located.
The pursuit began at roughly 12:28 a.m. Thursday when a deputy tried to pull over a vehicle traveling northbound on I-41 near Freistadt Road in Germantown at speeds exceeding 100 mph, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee. The driver refused to stop and instead sped off, kicking off a chase that stretched roughly 14.3 miles through Germantown, Richfield, Jackson, Slinger, and the Town of Polk. At one point, the vehicle cut through residential yards in the Village of Jackson before continuing its run from law enforcement.
Deputies Pulled Back Near Active Construction Zone
Deputies called off the high-speed portion of the chase near the I-41 and Highway 60 interchange because of safety concerns for road construction crews working in the area, according to the same report.
Deputies soon relocated the vehicle in Slinger and deployed tire-deflation devices along American Eagle Drive, disabling it near Cedar Bluffs Drive. The driver immediately bailed out on foot near Cedar Bluffs Drive. As of the sheriff's office's account, the suspect had not been found.
Search Continues and a Second Missing Vehicle
A search followed the driver's escape.
Deputies said the abandoned vehicle contained a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. Investigators also believe the car may have been stolen out of Langlade County.
A separate complication emerged during the search: a construction worker's vehicle went missing from the I-41 and Highway 60 work zone while the manhunt was underway. The Slinger Police Department is investigating the theft, according to FOX6's report. Whether the fleeing suspect took that vehicle to escape the perimeter remains an open question in the investigation.
What the Driver Could Face
If identified and arrested, the driver could face a Class H felony charge for fleeing or eluding a law enforcement officer under Wisconsin Statute § 346.04(3), which became a Class H felony after amendments took effect in March 2024, according to the Wisconsin State Law Library.
