Stolen Police Car at Accident Ends With Crash
08/20/03
By Kira Fischler, Burnett County Sentinel
Webster, WI – One accident leads to another.
Officer Travis Thiex responded to a call for backup at an accident at the intersection of Fairgrounds and Pike Street in Webster.
Upon arriving at the scene, Thiex was approached by Officer Bridget Getts who escorted a male, 19-year-old Joe Johnson, over to him. Getts asked him to detain Johnson while she questioned the other person in the vehicle.
The officer placed Johnson in the rear passenger side seat and approached Thomas Lawrynk, who had made the emergency call. Lawrynk told the officers he had not seen who had been driving the vehicle.
As the two officers returned to the accident scene, Thiex noticed his patrol vehicle traveling east on Fairgrounds. What appeared to be a tow truck or fire truck was following the vehicle and Thiex briefly thought a fire fighter was driving it.
When the vehicle approached Thiex, he noticed Johnson behind the driver’s wheel. Johnson hopped the curb and drove through the grass toward the fairgrounds at a high rate of speed, according to the officer’s report.
Johnson then began to spin "doughnuts" in the patrol vehicle.
Thiex radioed the situation in to dispatch just as Johnson stopped spinning and started traveling north on Sturge Avenue.
Thiex began to run after him.
In his get-away, Johnson hit a parked, red van belonging to Wayne H. Watral and went into the yard before heading onto the street.
The van had damage to the rear driver’s side and possible undercarriage damage, as well.
The collision forced the patrol car to stall and Thiex caught up to Johnson at the intersection of Sturgeon Avenue and West Birch Street. Thiex approached the car and placed Johnson in handcuffs.
The officer noted damage to the body of his vehicle, not undrivable, and also damage to articles inside, including a phone, flashlight and radio speakers. Johnson caused other damage when he pried his way into the driver’s seat.
Fire Fighter Allen Steiner confirmed these suspicions when he told Thiex he had seen Johnson put one of his hands through the cage when he tried to get it open.
Johnson was brought to Burnett County Jail and later to Burnett Medical Center, to receive care for minor injuries and for a Preliminary Blood Test. On the way, Johnson told officer Chad Halverson he had been drinking brandy all day and did not remember anything that had happened.
Johnson’s Preliminary Blood Test was .10.