High-speed downtown chase

WAUPACA — Kyle Lee Eith, a 37-year-old Menasha man, is facing felony charges after he allegedly rammed two police vehicles and crashed his car into a residence following a high-speed pursuit on Monday, Jan. 19, according to a criminal complaint filed the next day.
The incident began when the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin State Patrol attempted to stop a black BMW station wagon on Highway 10. It was going over 100 mph. A short time later, officers with the Waupaca Police Department and Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office were notified via FLOCK cameras the vehicle crossed the county line and they went into action.

Hot pursuit
Officer Jarred Studinski of the Waupaca Police Department reported that Deputy Eric Kamholz located the BMW parked in a lot at 312 Jefferson St. behind Little Caesars Pizza, where he observed a man urinating into a snow pile near the vehicle. Multiple units from the Waupaca Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office converged on the lot.
When Studinski arrived and activated his emergency lights, he exited his squad car with his firearm drawn, taking cover behind his vehicle.
As Deputy Kamholz and Officer Jarred Studinski attempted to block the vehicle and gave verbal commands to exit, Eith rolled up his window and shifted into reverse. Eith rammed Kamholz’s patrol vehicle twice while the deputy’s K9 dog, Ennie, was still inside. Eith also struck Officer Studinski’s squad car and then maneuvered around the squads and fled west.
Studinski reported he was positioned behind the passenger side door at the time and was nearly struck by his own squad car during the impact.
Sergeant Lewinski initiated a pursuit, during which Eith’s BMW reached speeds exceeding 50 mph in 25 mph residential zones. During the half-mile chase, Eith reportedly drove on a sidewalk at 120 East Badger St. and blew through four stop signs.
Lewinski reported that Eith showed “total disregard” for public safety as he crested a hill on North Washington Street. The sergeant lost sight of the BMW’s taillights briefly, only to find the vehicle had lost control on a downhill grade. The car struck several trees and came to rest on the front lawn of a home at 511 North Washington St.
The homeowner, Nathan Buck, told investigators he heard the crash and opened his front door to find a man running toward the house. Buck slammed the door and told his wife to call 911 while Eith unsuccessfully attempted to open the screen door.
Eith was held at gunpoint by Lewinski. When ordered to lie on his stomach, Eith informed the officer he had a head injury. Officers noted that Eith’s head appeared to have struck and cracked the BMW’s windshield during the collision.

Aftermath
After being taken into custody, Eith was transported via ambulance to ThedaCare Waupaca. Because of Eith’s head injury, Deputy Kamholz obtained a blood draw warrant from Judge Nielsen.
The lone remaining occupant of the vehicle after the crash was Eith’s dog, which was later turned over to his family.
Eith’s driving record reveals a history of intoxicated driving. He has three prior OWI-related convictions out of Wood and Outagamie counties dating back to 2022. Because of these prior offenses, his license was revoked, and he was under a court order to have an ignition interlock device (IID) installed in any vehicle he operated. No such device was found in the BMW.
Furthermore, Eith was out on active bond through Winnebago County for two separate 2025 cases involving charges of OWI (4th), resisting an officer, and operating while revoked. His bond conditions included absolute sobriety and a prohibition on operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.
Eith also had an active arrest warrant through Probation and Parole at the time of the incident.
Eith was charged in Waupaca County Circuit Court with the following offenses:
• Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence (4th offense)
• First-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety
• Attempting to Flee or Elude an Officer
• Felony Bail Jumping
• Misdemeanor Bail Jumping
• Operating a Motor Vehicle While Revoked
• Failure to Install an Ignition Interlock Device
“This is a great example of multijurisdictional teamwork and technology resulting in a dangerous individual being taken off the street. Thankfully, no victims were injured in the dangerous situations created by the repeat offender and only minimal damage occurred to the victim’s property and patrol squads,” wrote Captain Wiskirchen in a news release about the incident.