Wild Wisconsin Police Chase Ends With Car Launching Airborne Off Highway Ramp
A shocking police pursuit in Wisconsin ended in chaos after a fleeing suspect’s vehicle launched completely airborne off a highway exit ramp before crashing into a field and triggering a dramatic foot pursuit caught on dashcam video. The incident, captured by the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office and released publicly this week, unfolded on May 9 and has quickly gone viral online because of the almost movie like footage of the vehicle flying through the air at high speed.
According to authorities, the chase began on local roads before escalating into an extremely dangerous pursuit involving wrong-way driving, multiple intersections, and highway speeds that put other motorists at serious risk. Dashcam footage shows deputies racing after the suspect through areas near Pioneer Road and Military Road while the fleeing driver weaves aggressively through traffic.
At one point during the pursuit, the suspect reportedly drove through a Fleet Farm parking lot before re-entering public roadways in an apparent attempt to evade deputies. But the situation became dramatically more dangerous when dispatchers warned pursuing officers the suspect vehicle had crossed into oncoming traffic while traveling westbound on Johnson Street. Moments later, the chase shifted onto northbound Interstate 41.
The Crash Looked Like Something Out of an Action Movie
The most jaw dropping moment came roughly two minutes into the released video. As deputies continued pursuit near the I-41 and Pioneer Road area, the suspect vehicle lost control near an exit ramp and launched violently into the air. The dashcam footage shows the car briefly becoming fully airborne at a height far above normal roadway traffic before slamming down off the roadway in a massive cloud of dust and debris. For several seconds, visibility nearly disappears as smoke, dirt, and shattered debris scatter across the scene. The footage immediately drew comparisons online to stunt sequences from Hollywood action films rather than a real-world police chase. Despite the catastrophic looking impact, the suspect survived the crash and attempted to escape on foot.
Deputies Capture Suspect After Foot Pursuit
Authorities said the driver, described by dispatch as a Black male wearing a white shirt and black pants, fled into a nearby field immediately after the wreck. Deputies exited their vehicles and pursued the suspect on foot with tasers drawn while repeatedly ordering him to the ground. The suspect was eventually cornered and taken into custody without additional injuries or gunfire. No major injuries to deputies or civilians were immediately reported following the pursuit. The sheriff’s office has not yet publicly released the suspect’s identity or the full list of potential charges tied to the incident.
Another Reminder of the Growing Danger of High Speed Pursuits
The chase is the latest example of the ongoing national debate surrounding police pursuits and public safety. Law enforcement agencies across the United States continue struggling to balance the need to apprehend dangerous suspects against the enormous risks high speed chases create for officers, bystanders, and innocent drivers. Wrong way driving incidents during pursuits are especially dangerous and frequently lead to fatal crashes.
According to federal traffic safety data, police pursuits contribute to hundreds of deaths nationwide each year, including suspects, officers, passengers, and uninvolved civilians. At the same time, police departments argue that allowing suspects to flee unchecked can embolden increasingly reckless criminal behavior. In this case, authorities appear to believe the suspect’s driving itself posed an immediate danger significant enough to continue the pursuit. The now viral footage also underscores how dramatically modern police chases are documented in the age of dashboard cameras, bodycams, drones, and instant online publication.
What once would have been described only through radio dispatches and written reports can now be watched frame by frame by millions of viewers online within hours. And in this case, the footage is hard to forget.
