WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A high-speed chase along Highway 29 has landed a Stanley man in jail on suspicion of six charges including his fourth OWI.
Dale Kortesmaki, age 51, was arrested Sunday night after he led officers on a chase reaching speeds of up to 100 MPH from Clark County into Marathon County.
The incident began when a driver called 911 to report someone driving eratticly on the highway. A Colby-Abbotsford police officer spotted the vehicle, clocking it at 92 MPH. The officer then flipped on his lights to initiate a stop, but the driver refused and instead speed up.
From there the chase continued into Marathon County with the driver speeding up and slowing down from near 100 to 35 at times. Spike strips were deployed near Marathon City, popping one tire on the vehicle. That didn’t stop the driver from continuing on towards Wausau, where the vehicle finally crashed near the 72nd Street exit.
Kortesmanki refused to exit the vehicle so officers broke the windows and forced him out. He was taken to a nearby hospital for a blood draw and to be treated for some injuries suffered in the incident.
Officers reported that Kortesmanki refused to cooperate and at one point head-butted an officer trying to take him into custody. An open bottle of whiskey was found in his vehicle.
Formal charges against him are pending.
