Video: 81-year-old man faces potential charge after wrong-way driving incident

Wrong-way driver on I-43 near Brown Deer Rd.

MILWAUKEE COUNTY -- The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office released WisDOT video of a wrong-way driver incident that happened on I-43 near Brown Deer Rd.

Officials say shortly after midnight on Monday, January 16th, a sheriff’s deputy responded to a call about a wrong-way driver who was driving northbound in the southbound lanes of I-43 at Bradley Road. The deputy stopped the vehicle by activating his emergency lights while driving toward the wrong-way driver, who stopped in the median distress lane.

The wrong-way driver is an 81-year-old man from Milwaukee. Officials say he tested a .10 on a PBT. A news release indicates the man said he was drinking at Larry’s bar on Teutonia Ave. where he bought a half pint of scotch. The man said he entered the freeway at Good Hope Road and did not realize he was going the wrong way.

The 81-year-old man faces a potential charge of 2nd degree recklessly endangering safety, a Class G felony punishable by up to ten years in prison. He also was ticketed for DUI-1st offense and driving wrong way on divided highway.