Field C. Hadley, 30, Milwaukee, was charged with fleeing an officer, obstruction, a second drunken driving offense and operating after revocation.
Shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday, July 13, Weyauwega Police Officer Matthew Batte was running stationary radar on County Road X near Slough Road when he clocked a westbound late model Buick traveling at 68 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Batte pulled out onto County X and activated his emergency lights to make a traffic stop. He saw four adult males in the vehicle.
Instead of stopping, the Buick accelerated, according to the criminal complaint.
Batte activated his siren and pursued the vehicle toward State Highway 110.
At the intersection of County X and State 110, several vehicles were waiting at the stop sign. The Buick swerved to the right onto the gravel shoulder and sped around the vehicles. Police say it roared through the stop sign, causing a vehicle on State 110 to slam on its brakes to avoid a collision.
The Buick then continued on Haire Road, reaching, then maintaining speeds over 100 mph, according to the police report.
Batte continued pursuing the vehicle as it traveled southbound on Reek Road, then west on U.S. Highway 10, again causing a westbound vehicle to suddenly stop to avoid a crash.
As the chase continued east, Waupaca County Sheriff’s Deputy Julie Thobaben set up stop sticks near the intersection of U.S. 10 and County Road A. As the Buick approached Thobaben’s position, it veered onto the County X exit ramp, then stopped about 50 feet from the intersection.
The driver jumped out of the Buick and fled. He was later captured between Fleet Farm and U.S. 10 by police and identified as Hadley.
Batte spoke with the other passengers, who were described by police as terrified. They said they pleaded with Hadley to stop, but he said, “I can’t go to jail,” according to the complaint.
Police reported Hadley was so intoxicated they had to hold him up so he would not fall over.
On Jan. 18, Hadley was convicted in Winnebago County of his first drunken driving offense and his license was revoked for nine months. His license was revoked indefinitely on April 29 after he failed to comply with a court-ordered assessment.
Hadley was also charged with a second drunken driving offense in Milwaukee County on May 20.