Walworth County chase, crash; deputy's life forever changed

WALWORTH COUNTY, Wis. - Wayne Blanchard knows a thing or two about resilience. The former Marine has faced his share of battles.

Blanchard is used to pushing it to the limits and leading an active lifestyle, but in the summer of 2021, that all changed.

"Walked out the door, got in the squad car in the driveway and started my shift," Blanchard said.

What began as a normal night on the job as a Walworth County sheriff’s deputy, turned out to be anything but that.

"It was approximately 1:11 a.m. on Aug. 1, our third-shift K-9 squad picked up a vehicle in the city of Lake Geneva for doing 68 in a 25-mile-an-hour zone," said Blanchard.

Tony Perales, 26, was behind the wheel of a speeding car, driving drunk and refusing to stop for law enforcement. Blanchard stood ready to throw stop sticks at State Highway 120 and Kniep Road.

"I could see the vehicle crest the hill on 120 coming northbound and could tell by the rate of the tire sound and the vehicle sound he was going over 100 miles an hour," said Blanchard.

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Perales lost control of the car – hitting the guardrail and the deputy. Blanchard nearly lost his life. He woke up two weeks later with his wife and mom at his side.

"I just looked at Angela and my mother in the hospital and I thought, ‘Why am I still alive? What does God have for me right now?’" he said.

Blanchard was seriously hurt and left with broken bones. He had injuries to his face, head, shoulders and hands.

"It’s hard," Blanchard’s wife, Angela, said. "It’s hard watching someone you love suffer, and there’s nothing you can do."

Since the crash, Blanchard has undergone more than 45 surgical procedures. His house was retrofitted for the limited mobility he had following those injuries. His entire life was changed.

"It’s frustrating," Angela said. "You watch your husband can’t do simple things he’s always wanted to do."

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The crash also changed Angela’s life; she quit her job to take care of him.

"I cried, I was so scared, I was like, ‘I don’t know how we’re going to pay our bills right now,’" she said. "I didn’t want to go to work and leave him."

Adding to their frustration and the loss of Angela's income, Blanchard said he, too, has taken a financial hit.

"It’s like I’m being punished for doing my job," he said.

Blanchard is getting worker's compensation, which is 66% of his salary and is not taxed. The Blanchards said it is not enough, and they want more help from the county.

"I just want to see them taken care of. They’re risking their lives for people," Angela said. "They’re not asking for any credit or anything in return. Just give them their simple life back."

Walworth County Administrator Mark Luberda said Blanchard is being "made whole" and receiving the max benefits that are possible. FOX6 News asked if he thought it was fair.

"I do. The overall access to workers compensation, and the way they’ve worked out that formula, sort of makes it so that it is as fair as the legislature determined is appropriate," Luberda said.

Luberda said the county is reviewing benefits and looking for ways to improve.

"I’m not surprised that when you have the more significant injuries like this, that there aren’t issues that could frustrate the individual," Luberda said.

Walworth County Sheriff Dave Gerber said he’d like to see Blanchard return to work someday, if it’s possible.

"In law enforcement we’re all a family, and when one of our family members is hurt, we all want that family member to heal and get back to a normal life and be able to come back and be on the job," Gerber said.

Blanchard does not know what the future holds, but he is living day by day and relying on his family and his faith to continue.

"I’ve always been a positive, outgoing individual, and I’ve always been a fighter," he said.

Perales, the man convicted of hitting Blanchard, did not have insurance or a driver's license. Blanchard found out because he is getting workers compensation, he is not eligible for uninsured motorist insurance benefits through the county.

The deputy still has more surgeries ahead of him. He said doctors have told him it could take a few years for him to heal.