'We will stop you:' Authorities out in force to catch drunk drivers through St. Patrick's Day weekend

MILWAUKEE -- Thirty-five departments from Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties will be out in full force beginning Friday, March 9. This, after a driver slammed into a sheriff's squad and went tumbling down I-43 last weekend. Investigators say the man was drunk.

As investigators work the scene of a crash, along I-43 and Brown Street early Saturday, March 2, a pickup truck came barreling down the highway.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) cameras captured the intense moments as the truck slammed into the parked Milwaukee County sheriff squad.

The truck flipped several times, tumbled down the road and came to a halt landing on its side.

Remarkably, no one was in the squad and the driver of the truck wasn't hurt.

Zachary Peabody

Investigators say 26-year-old Zachary Peabody was behind the wheel, drunk.

 

"If you do hit the road, just know all these officers will be out looking for you," said Sergeant Daniel Rossmann, Whitefish Bay Police Department.

They are the types of incidents area departments are working to prevent.

"We just want people to be responsible. That's the biggest message," said Rossmann.

Friday, law enforcement agencies from Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties came together for a roll call. Their message: impaired driving will not be tolerated.

Sean Patyk

"We're going to be out in force, making traffic stops, testing people to make sure that they are not impaired and keeping the roads safe," said Corporal Sean Patyk, West Milwaukee Police Department.

A total of 35 agencies will be out on the roads Friday through St. Patrick's Day weekend, March 17.

"If you do irresponsible things and hit the roads intoxicated, we will stop you," said Rossmann.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office tells FOX6 News, it was Peabody's first drunken driving offense. Law enforcement reminds people if you plan on drinking, take a Lyft, taxi or any other safe ride home.