Walworth County crash; sheriff's deputy injured
WALWORTH COUNTY, Wis. - Shortly after 1 a.m. on Sunday, August 1, a Walworth County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop a motor vehicle for traveling 62 mph in a 25 mph zone in the City of Lake Geneva.
The vehicle’s driver exhibited signs of impairment while operating the motor vehicle presenting a danger to the community. The driver increased speeds in excess of 100 mph traveling north on Highway 120.
As the driver approached the intersection with Highway 11, both the headlights and taillights were turned off and the vehicle failed to stop at the posted stop sign continuing north on Highway 120 at a high rate of speed.
Deputy Wayne Blanchard of the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office was on Highway 120 north of Kniep Road in the Town of Spring Prairie, monitoring the radio transmissions of the pursuit. The deputy took a position behind a guardrail and was prepared to deploy a tire deflation device in an attempt to stop the threat presented by the suspect vehicle.
As the vehicle approached Deputy Blanchard’s position the driver began to lose control along the shoulder of the northbound traffic lane. The driver struck the guardrail causing injury to a passenger in his vehicle and to Deputy Blanchard.
The passenger of the suspect vehicle was transported to an area hospital and later released. The passenger is a 31-year-old male from Racine, Wisconsin. Deputy Blanchard was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries.
The suspect driver, 25-year-old Tony Perales of Racine, Wisconsin, was also transported to an area hospital for treatment and afterward confined in the Walworth County Jail. The following charges will be referred to the Walworth County District Attorney’s Office:
- Flee and Eluding
- Operating while intoxicated causing Great Bodily Harm
- Injury by intoxicated use of motor vehicle
- Operating without a Driver’s License causing Great Bodily Harm
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