Wrong-way driver passes Harris motorcade, Milwaukee man charged
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man is now criminally charged, accused of driving the wrong way toward Vice President Kamala Harris’ motorcade in Milwaukee on Monday.
Prosecutors charged 55-year-old Wayne Wacker with second-degree recklessly endangering safety in the case. The sheriff's office said he is suspected of drunk driving, but court records show he is not charged with operating while intoxicated.
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The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office said it happened just before 8:30 p.m. on Monday near the Marquette Interchange. Harris had just wrapped up a rally in Brookfield when the wrong-way vehicle passed her motorcade.
Prosecutors said Wacker appeared to be driving at "close to highway speeds." He was stopped near 13th Street, and deputies said he "had a very strong odor of intoxicates emitting from his person, bloodshot and glassy eyes, and extremely slurred speech."
Wacker told deputies he was on his way home from a Walker's Point bar and was "unaware" he was driving the wrong way on the interstate, the complaint states. He was taken to the nearby Milwaukee Intermodal Station for field sobriety tests, and the complaint states a preliminary breath test had a BAC reading of .252.
While waiting for a blood draw as part of the OWI investigation, prosecutors said Wacker told deputies he "had no recollection" of entering the freeway or almost striking another vehicle. He also said he had no idea Harris was in Milwaukee and had no intention of harming her or any member of her campaign.
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Prosecutors noted Wacker is not charged with OWI in the case. However, the complaint states Wisconsin Department of Transportation records show he was previously convicted of OWI in 2000 – meaning that offense is not countable under state statute, and this will be handled as his first OWI offense.
The U.S. Secret Service said it was aware of the incident, and they are grateful to the MCSO’s deputies. The agency did not agree to FOX6 News' request for an interview earlier this week.
Back in September, there was another Milwaukee motorcade mishap. Press vans following Tim Walz's motorcade were rear-ended while traveling through the city in September.