Police Chase Ends with Van in Wisconsin Lake
A police chase that began in Maplewood ended with a van in a lake in Hudson, Wisconsin.
According to an article by the Star Tribune, police had to bash the window of the sinking van in order to save the driver.
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“Officers attempted to pull over the van around 3 a.m. Thursday for a vehicle equipment and speeding violation when the vehicle took off,” the article reads. “The vehicle reached a top speed of about 100 miles per hour during the chase, according to audio from Police Clips, a website which records police scanner traffic.”
The vehicle stopped at the Lake Mallalieu boat launch along 2nd Street. Officers then prepared to call the driver out of the vehicle when it rolled into the lake, Maplewood Police Chief Paul Schnell told the Star Tribune . The van traveled from White Bear Avenue in Maplewood onto eastbound I-694. It followed that road before turning to eastbound I-94 and crossing into Wisconsin. The van turned into Hudson on Highway 35, headed north. The route, as described by police scanner traffic, stretched about 22 miles.
Two Woodbury police officers were able to run into the water and shatter a window to attempt to pull the woman from the van, but they couldn’t drag her out. As the van was sinking further into the lake, the woman reportedly awoke and was able to escape the van before it sunk completely.
She was the only person in the vehicle, according to the article. She was taken into custody following the incident.
She was brought to Hudson Hospital to be checked for her injuries and is currently being held in the St. Croix County jail. She has been charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. If she is extradited to Minnesota, she will face charges related to reckless driving and operating a vehicle under a suspended license, Schnell said.
According to a Hudson Police Department release, eight different agencies responded to the chase and accident, including the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota State Patrol and the Hudson Fire Department.
