When a driver enters the highway from the wrong direction, it puts him or her, along with anyone else on the roads, in danger. It’s more likely that a head-on crash could take place, which could lead to serious injuries or deaths.
Usually, those who enter the highway incorrectly quickly attempt to correct their mistakes. Sometimes, due to inebriation, people may not know that they’ve done something wrong. That’s allegedly what happened in this case.
The news reports that a man from Rice Lake is facing charges for fleeing from police when he was heading the wrong way on Hastings Way. According to the news, the 42-year-old man had been headed north in the southbound lanes in the early morning. It was around 2:00 a.m. when a trooper noticed the man and attempted to pull him over.
The police officer reported activating his lights and sirens. Even though the man did stop at a red light, he continued on when it turned green moments later. He was traveling quickly at around 50 to 60 mph. Eventually, he pulled onto Anderson Drive and stopped for the officer.
The man was arrested and taken to the hospital to test his blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Now, he faces charges for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, fleeing an officer and driving the wrong way.
If you’re caught drinking and driving or going the wrong way on the highway, make sure you pull over as soon as the police ask. If you don’t, you could face additional penalties like the man is in the case above.
Source: WQOW, “Wrong-way driver in Eau Claire arrested for 3rd OWI after pursuit,” Claire Sarafin, March 17, 2018
