Pewaukee police chase topped 100 mph, driver arrested
PEWAUKEE - It was a rude awakening for the Pewaukee area on Friday morning, Sept. 29. Emergency alerts went out early Friday as police searched for a driver in a high-speed chase.
It is not every day you wake up to see a man running through your neighborhood's backyards – with sirens in the background.
"I remember waking up to the sound of an alert on my phone," said Tom Fischer.
When Fischer looked at the alert, he realized the area police had blocked off was just down the road.
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Here is how police say it started. Shortly before 5:30 a.m., a Brookfield police officer spotted an SUV driving recklessly – heading west on Capitol Drive. Police say the driver was doing more than 100 miles per hour when it hit a median wall and then entered the Village of Pewaukee.
Pewaukee police chase, College and Prospect (Courtesy: Village of Pewaukee Police Department Facebook page)
A Pewaukee police officer spotted it – and the chase was underway.
The vehicle was heavily damaged and eventually came to a stop near College and Prospect. But the chase wasn’t over. The guy ran off – although police did not know which direction he went. That is what prompted a search of nearby neighborhoods.
"A person, running down the berm. He’s in a white shirt. Running down and running in between the neighbor’s house," Fischer said.
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Police say the man was found in a nearby yard.
"How a gentleman down the block heard them in between the yards, 'Stop, put your hands up!’" Fischer said.
A later video showed police with a K-9 tracing the man's footsteps.
For the recently retired Fischer, the events woke him up better than a cup of coffee.
"This was even more than two cups of coffee to get me up and going," Fischer said.
Waukesha police and the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department helped track the man down. Police say they found drugs in the man's car.
Charges will be reviewed by the Waukesha County District Attorney's office.