New Berlin police chase; Caledonia man accused, reached speed of 115 mph
Allan Eckola
NEW BERLIN, Wis. - A 37-year-old Caledonia man is accused of leading police from two communities on a police chase that reached speeds in excess of 110 mph. The accused is Allan Eckola – and he faces the following criminal counts:
- Attempting to flee or elude an officer
- Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence-4th offense
- Obstructing an officer
- Second-degree recklessly endangering safety (two counts)
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Possession of an electric weapon
- Felony bail jumping
- Possession of THC
According to the criminal complaint, a New Berlin police officer was patrolling the area near Sunny Slope and Howard when he overheard the Greenfield Police Department being in pursuit of a red SUV. The police chase was headed west on Morgan Avenue -- and officers lost the vehicle at S. 124th Street.
The New Berlin officer spotted the suspect's vehicle in front of a residence on Sunny View Drive with its headlights on -- and made a U-turn to investigate the vehicle. At that point, the SUV accelerated through a stop sign, turning east on Howard Avenue. The New Berlin officer activated his lights and siren -- and a police chase was on.
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The complaint indicates within moments, the "suspect vehicle accelerated to speeds above 90 mph in a posted 35 mph zone." The driver in the SUV motored through multiple stop signs and turned west on Beloit Road. Again, the complaint says speeds reached 95 mph -- and the driver was blowing through multiple red traffic lights. A second New Berlin officer then took the lead on the pursuit.
The second officer noted the man in the SUV was traveling west on Beloit at speeds over 100 mph until it reached Moorland Road and turned north. Officers had set a tire deflation device on the road -- and the suspect vehicle continued driving at speeds of 100 mph in a posted 40 mph zone. The complaint says the "suspect vehicle crossed over the tire deflation devices which deflated the driver's side front and rear tires successfully." However, the driver continued on -- reaching speeds around 115 mph with tire debris flying off the vehicle.
As the suspect's vehicle approached W. Rogers Drive and the train tracks just north, the complaint says the suspect's vehicle slowed significantly, which gave the first New Berlin officer a chance to perform a successful PIT (precision immobilization technique) maneuver. The suspect's vehicle spun. The driver "then slammed on his brakes, put the vehicle in reverse and struck (the officer's) front passenger side front fender of his marked patrol squad," the complaint says. The suspect's vehicle then accelerated in reverse, attempting to turn around to escape. At that point, the complaint says two officers "conducted an intentional vehicle contact at slow speeds to spin the suspect vehicle back and pin it to the curb" -- which was successful. The suspect's vehicle then "intentionally rammed" both squads -- again, trying to escape. He was unable to get away.
The driver of the vehicle was later identified as defendant Allan Eckola. Officers approached the SUV and ordered Eckola out of the vehicle. The complaint says "the defendant continuously reached around as if he was reaching for a weapon and officers screamed that they would be forced to shoot him if he did not show them his hands." Moments later, officers were able to open a door to the SUV, drag Eckola from the vehicle, get him on the ground and place him in handcuffs.
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Officers searched Eckola and recovered a large amount of cash. They also "observed the defendant's eyes were bloodshot and glassy and there was a strong odor of intoxicants" coming from him. One officer noted "what appeared to be a mixed alcoholic drink in a clear cup in the center cupholder of the vehicle," the complaint says.
When investigators searched the suspect's SUV, they found a silver pipe with a white substance that tested positive for cocaine. The complaint says they also located a taser, a 9mm handgun, seven 9mm full metal jacket rounds and a vaping device that tested positive for the presence of THC.
Eckola made his initial appearance in Waukesha County court on Tuesday, March 26. Cash bond was set at $100,000.