Child Hit By Vehicle In FDL, Arrest Made

A 49-year-old Fond du Lac man is in jail after hitting a child with his car, then leaving the scene and leading authorities in three counties on a pursuit.

Officers with the Fond du Lac Police Department were called to the parking lot of 88 Forest Avenue around 2:30 Friday afternoon where witnesses said a car had hit a child, with the suspect leaving the scene. Officers arriving at the scene found an 8-year-old child unconscious in the parking lot with a head injury.

The suspect was spotted several blocks away by an officer who tried to stop the vehicle, but then the suspect led officers on a high speed chase, reaching speeds of 80 miles-per-hour. Officers then lost sight of the car in the area of south Hickory Street and Highway 151.

A short time later, officers with the Beaver Dam Police Department spotted the vehicle going south on Highway 151 and began a pursuit. That pursuit continued south into Columbia County, where the Columbus Police Department and Columbia County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the chase. Columbus Police used spike strips to end the pursuit, and the suspect eventually crashed his car and was taken into custody.

The child injured in the incident was flown by Flight for Life to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee. A press release says the child suffered “serious” injuries, but is now in stable condition.

The Fond du Lac man arrested after the pursuit is being held in the Fond du Lac County Jail and is facing numerous charges related to the case.

Also assisting Fond du Lac Police were Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue and the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team.