NEW BERLIN, Wisc. (DDN) – A driver, who was reportedly under the influence, found himself in a precarious situation when he drove the wrong way and collided head-on with a New Berlin police squad car on Sunday night.
A three-vehicle crash occurred on Moorland Road in New Berlin around 10:24 p.m. A police officer suffered a broken finger in the crash, leading to the arrest of the wrong-way driver for operating while intoxicated (third offense) and causing injury, as stated in a Monday release from the New Berlin Police Department.
An officer was driving south on Moorland, just south of Cleveland Avenue, when he noticed a vehicle heading north in the southbound lanes of the divided road.
An officer with five years of experience in the department was involved in a collision with a third vehicle while trying to avoid a head-on crash. Only the officer sustained injuries.
A 57-year-old man from New Berlin was arrested at the scene by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office, which looked into the OWI allegation at the request of New Berlin police. He was brought to the Waukesha County Jail soon after, as stated by WCSO Lt. Nicholas Wenzel, the department’s public information officer.
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Authorities report that the Wisconsin State Patrol is investigating the accident.
New Berlin Police Capt. Brad Polczynski noted that incidents like this, where an alleged drunk driver accidentally hits a squad car rather than during a chase, are quite uncommon. He remembered an incident from about 15 years ago when a driver crashed into a New Berlin police car at an intersection during a third-shift accident.
The identities of the police officer and the driver involved in the accident on Sunday have not been disclosed. The driver faced pending charges on Monday. An officer received treatment at a nearby hospital and has since been released.
Reference: Wrong-way driver who authorities say was drunk causes police car crash in New Berlin
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