Wausau Pilot & Review
State officials have released new details in a police chase south of Wausau that ended when a suspect traveling the wrong way on I-39 struck a semi tractor trailer head on.
The crash was reported at about 7:35 p.m. June 11 in the northbound lanes of the highway, just south of Maple Ridge Road in Kronenwetter. Multiple agencies were paged to the scene of the crash, and a portion of northbound I-39 was shut down for more than 8 hours.
Now, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation says the chase unfolded about 15 minutes prior to the crash, when Kronenwetter Police Officer Mason Dallman tried to stop a vehicle in the area of Maple Ridge Road and I-39. The driver did not stop and Dallman, who has more than one year of law enforcement experience, initiated the pursuit.
The driver being pursued was headed in the wrong direction, southbound in the northbound off-ramp of I-39, and struck a northbound semi-tractor trailer. The driver of the wrong-way vehicle was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries. His name and current condition have not been released.
The semi driver was also treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.
Officer Dallman was wearing a body camera, officials said. Police have not said what prompted the traffic stop the led to the crash.
DCI is leading this investigation and are assisted by the Wisconsin State Patrol Technical Reconstruction Unit, Mountain Bay Police Department, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Mosinee Police Department and a DCI Crime Response Specialist. All involved law enforcement are fully cooperating with DCI during this investigation.
DCI is continuing to review evidence and determine the facts of this incident and will turn over investigative reports to the Marathon County District Attorney when the investigation concludes.
