Wayne Wacker
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee man accused of driving the wrong way toward Vice President Kamala Harris’ motorcade in October pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.
Wrong-way driver
The backstory:
It happened on Oct. 21. Harris had just wrapped up a rally in Brookfield when the wrong-way vehicle passed her motorcade on I-94 near the Marquette Interchange. Prosecutors said 55-year-old Wayne Wacker was behind the wheel.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Court filings 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.
In court
What's next:
Wacker is charged with second-degree recklessly endangering safety. Court records show his next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 18.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwakuee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.