Two men arrested after stealing vehicle, driving 90 mph and ending in Fond du Lac River to avoid police
FOND DU LAC – Two men stole a Land Rover, crashed after traveling 90 miles per hour into Fond du Lac and entered the Fond du Lac River to avoid police before they were arrested late Tuesday night, the Fond du Lac Police Department said.
On Tuesday at around 10:15 p.m., police were on the lookout for the car, which was stolen in Menasha and allegedly involved in other crimes. It had been last seen southbound on Interstate 41 and had fled law enforcement in Winnebago County.
When police tried to pull the Land Rover over on Interstate 41 near South Military Road, the driver fled with police in pursuit, reaching speeds of 90 mph as the chase approached Fond du Lac.
The Land Rover collided with another car on Western Avenue and South Military Road. No one in either vehicle was hurt, but two suspects — a 19-year-old from Eau Claire and a 25-year-old from Neenah — left the stolen car in the 100 block of Western Avenue and fled on foot.
Authorities say while officers from several law enforcement agencies were searching for the suspects with a drone and a K-9 unit, the suspects entered the east branch of the Fond du Lac River to avoid police.
The two men were arrested shortly afterwards, and one was taken to the hospital due to cold-water exposure, police said. The suspects were being held at the Fond du Lac County Jail, police said. The 19-year-old faces possible charges of operating a stolen vehicle, and the 25-year-old may be charged with possessing an illegally obtained prescription drug. Both face charges of resisting an officer.
Police did not say how long the pursuit lasted. The Menasha Police Department is continuing to investigate the incident.
Contact Rebecca Loroff at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RebeccaLoroff.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Two men arrested for stealing car, evading Fond du Lac police in river
