80mph in a 50: Acting Sheriff Schmidt stops alleged reckless driver in Mitchell Interchange

MILWAUKEE -- Acting Milwaukee County Sheriff Richard Schmidt on the day after Christmas, Tuesday, December 26th stopped a driver traveling more than 30 miles-per-hour over the speed limit, and traveling recklessly in the Mitchell Interchange.

It happened on I-43 SB near Howard around 5:30 p.m. A news release from MCSO indicates the driver was cutting in and out of lanes of traffic.

Acting Sheriff Schmidt paced the vehicle with his speedometer and determined it was going approximately 80 miles-per-hour in a 50 miles-per-hour zone.

"So I hit the sirens and I actually had to use a couple of different sounds. The person finally started to respond and slow down a little bit so I didn't know if we were going to get into a chase or not, but fortunately, the person started to slow down and eventually pull over to the right -- into the distress lane," Acting Sheriff Schmidt said.

“I’ve made it clear through our saturation speed patrols that stopping reckless drivers on our freeways is a priority. Keeping drivers safe from those whose dangerous driving behaviors show a disregard for the lives of others on the road is a public safety issue," Acting Sheriff Schmidt said in the release.

The driver, a 37-year-old Milwaukee man, admitted he was speeding, MCSO officials said, and that he had a hypodermic needle in his coat pocket.

He was driving with a suspended license.

He was able to successfully complete field sobriety tests -- and he was issued citations for unreasonable and imprudent speed, operating after suspension, unsafe cutting in when passing, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was booked and released from the county jail.