New Year's Eve crash in Wausau. Image courtesy: Wausau Police/WAOW
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU-WAOW) — The Wausau Police Department is encouraging anyone celebrating a new year to do so safely after a car crashed into a building along North 3rd Street.
Officers found the vehicle crashed into a building in the 700 block near the Woodson YMCA. The driver and any occupants fled the scene before the crash was reported, and officers say they found empty beer cans inside it.
Wausau Police Officer Matthew Grover told WAOW TV that drunk driving crashes often have life-long impacts. “There’s been incidents in our area where passengers have been killed as a result of an OWI crash. Then that goes and affects families, relatives, friends, and all sorts of things as a result of the decision of one person,” he said.
Grover encourages anyone who over-indulges on new year’s cheer, either intentionally or on accident, to utilize tools such as Uber, Lyft, taxis, or plan ahead for a sober driver. Most bars will also call to arrange a cab ride for anyone who requests one at the end of the night.
Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg conducted a ride-along with a Wausau Police Officer on Thursday evening and said she and the officer observed several people who “clearly shouldn’t [have been] behind the wheel.”
I spent the evening riding along with Officer Pfaff. There were quite a few people driving around with their lights off or burned out. pic.twitter.com/rY7wJQ73qy
— Katie Rosenberg (@katierosenberg) January 1, 2021
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